The Final Storm
by Scarlet Eve
Summary: (A/U) Mid 1880s America. James Darlian is worried about the safety of his young wife after moving her out into the country to escape the bustle of the city. To remedy this, he hires a young man named Heero Yuy to keep her safe. However, Heero soon learns that he may have to protect Miss Darlian from more than just potential kidnappers...
1. Prologue

The Final Storm

Prologue

by Scarlet Eve

A/N: BACK! Sorry it took so long to bring you something new. I have been working on making it as awesome as possible. And I know none of you are holding your breath, but I will get to my alternate ending for The Bounty. Also, if you are interested, follow me on Twitter flyinghigh05, or check my profile for other ways of getting in touch with me! Onward!

-/-\-

The half moon hid behind the clouds, casting the countryside in near total darkness. Stars blazed across the heavens towards Earth, dotting the sky like diamonds. Trees and bushes bent in the gentle wind that blew, cutting through the spring humidity that had settled over the area during the day. The rustling of the trees made perfect cover for the sound of footsteps up the gravel drive.

The stakeout couldn't have gone more perfectly. It only took a couple of days to determine that the man of the home was not around, and the only other able bodied men were the farm hands, who slept in cottages a good distance from the main house. There was the old butler, but he hardly posed a threat. The real prize was the young wife. She would hardly put up a fight, especially not after a quick thump to the head. She would fetch a large ransom from this rich man living in the rich house. Surely no price was too high for him to get his precious flower back safely.

Someone else had made the attempt a few months prior, the whole affair was bungled and messy. The man of the house had been home, and armed. The snow that had melted and refrozen many times over made too much noise to walk through. And of course there were the footprints left behind. No stakeout, no research. That's why the other man had failed. And that was why he would succeed. He'd done the work and would be rewarded with a successful kidnapping.

He approached the large house, cutting through the trees to remain hidden in their shadows. Soon, the front of the house was visible through the darkness. A few candles had been left burning in the windows, but otherwise the house was dark. Over the grass and up the steps of the wrap around front porch, he was finally at the front door. He pulled a knife from his boot pocket and stuck it between the two doors. He knew the lock wouldn't be hard to open. After a moment of wiggling the knife up and door, he heard the click. The knife was pulled back and replaced in the boot and the door was gently swung open.

The house was silent. A good sign. He stepped into the entryway, careful of potentially creaky floorboards. If his assumption of the layout of the house was accurate, the mistress's room would be on the second floor. He crept towards the stairs and began to climb slowly, sticking to the edge of the step to avoid making too much noise from the well worn steps. He reached the second floor landing and stepped around the banister.

There was a candle lit on a small table at the window at the end of the hall. It was one he'd seen from the outside. The candle was giving off a faint orange glow. There was a closed door towards that corner of the house. A small table with flowers was beside the door, and on the other side, a silver tray with the leftovers of what must have been late night tea. It was her room.

His feet padded lightly on the thick rug that ran down the length of the hallway. He paused for a moment when he thought he heard rustling. The sound passed and silence resumed. A few more steps, and he stood at the door. His hand extended out and his fingers wrapped around the doorknob. With a slow, deliberate turn, the knob released the catch, and he pushed the door open.

The room was indeed a bedroom, with a large canopy bed in the center, surrounded by various pieces of furniture. A window was open to allow the cool night air into the room. The curtains around the canopy bed were drawn, but the curtains were sheer things, mostly for decoration. He could see the lump of a body beneath the blankets on the bed.

He took two steps into the room. Nothing. One more step.

The floorboard under his foot creaked loudly.

The body on the bed stirred and sat up in bed. "James?" came a sleepy voice. The golden head lifted from the pillow. He froze.

She screamed. On impulse, he lunged for her, wanting to stop the sound emitting from her. She scrambled backwards on the bed as he moved towards her. He tried to push his way through the curtains surrounding her bed, but they proved to be more complicated than he originally thought. He couldn't find the opening. And she just kept screaming.

"Shut up!" he shouted at her. He stepped away and began to move around to the other side of the bed when he heard an audible click behind him. He whirled around and saw the old butler staring at him from the doorway, dressed in his pajamas, a very large revolver in his hands. The woman finally stopped screaming.

"No," he said. He was trapped. In a flash, he saw that the woman in the bed was climbing out, fumbling with a knife that must have been hidden nearby, and though she looked clumsy, she still had an upper hand. He decided quickly that he was going for the old man. He pulled his own knife from his boot and ran towards the old man.

A blast of fire ripped through the darkness and smacked against his chest. The large round ripped through him, taking his heartbeat with him. He crumpled to the ground at the old man's feet, his lifeblood seeping from his chest onto the old wood floor.

-/-\-

Chapter 1 will be up soon.

-Scarlet Eve


	2. Chapter 1

The Final Storm

Chapter 1

by Scarlet Eve

-/-\-

James Darlian tapped his foot impatiently against the floorboards of the train compartment. He was a tall, elegant man in his mid-thirties. His dark blonde hair was slicked back in the style of the day, though he usually kept it covered by his favorite hat. He wore a pair of dark brown slacks and a white button up shirt under his matching coat. There was slight growth on his cheeks, as his hurried departure that morning from his hotel in New York hadn't afforded him a moment to get a proper shave. Every few minutes, he'd absently rubbed against the stubble with his hand.

The telegram from Duo Maxwell, his head farm hand, had arrived early that morning. The house had been broken into, again, and the assailant had gone for the mistress. Pagan, the butler, had shot the man dead in his wife's room. After reading the short missive and deducing the rest, James hurriedly packed his bags and caught the first available train west out of the city.

Though the trip did not take as long as it used to, James was worried about his wife's mental state after the events that transpired, and he longed to comfort her. Something would have to be done about the vagabonds in the area, and the security of his home was obviously lacking. James had heard about other members of high society hiring bodyguards to protect their home and families. Perhaps this was something James should look into. His wife was too precious to have any harm come to her. Not to mention her elder brother would kill him dead if anything ever happened to her.

James picked up his newspaper and skimmed through it once again. He'd already read the damn thing front to back twice. It couldn't be much longer before the train arrived at the station.

When James was halfway through the newspaper, it was announced that they were arriving at James' destination. In a mixture of anxiety and excitedness, James leapt from his seat and began to gather his belongings. When the train finally screeched to a stop, he was the first one off the compartment, bags in hand. He had no time to wait for porter to assist him. He hurried through the late morning crowds towards the carriage rental building. He paid extra to have someone drive him home as quickly as possible.

Soon, his bags were loaded onto a small, speedy carriage, and James was bouncing along the road towards home. He wrung his hands in his lap, trying to imagine his poor wife's face when the attacker came after her. He could see her face, pale, bloodless, screaming while her blue eyes went wide with fear. He hoped against hope that she remembered the gun he'd given her for these very reasons. Next time he was in the city, he would have to seek out someone to watch over his precious wife.

Before long, the estate loomed ahead of him, the tree line doing little to diminish the grandeur of the place. In the distance, he could see the farm hands working the garden, and Duo was there, perched on his horse with his shotgun slung across his back. James had always had the notion that living in the country would be safer than living in the city. Sometimes he regretted the move, but it had made the missus happier, and she seemed to bloom right before his eyes out in the country sun.

The carriage rumbled to a stop in front of the estate. The large doors were pushed open, and James' long term butler, Pagan, stepped out from inside the house. James didn't wait for the door to be opened by the driver, but flung it open, causing the door to bang against the side of the carriage. He hopped out, landed in the dust and strode up to the older gentleman.

"Pagan," James said. Pagan bowed slightly from the waist. "How is she?" The two men clasped hands in greeting.

"Shaken up, but otherwise doing alright. We've already cleaned up the mess in her room. I've already asked if she wants to permanently move rooms, but she declined," Pagan explained. James nodded, walking into the house with Pagan at his side, the driver bringing up the rear with the luggage.

"Where is she now?"

"Out in the yard. Miss Hilde and Mister Duo have been keeping her company this morning."

"Good, good," James said. He turned part way towards Pagan and nodded his head to him. "Thank you Pagan." The old man nodded and tottered off in another direction while James rushed to the yard.

Sure enough, his wife was sitting in a chair underneath the large oak tree, a wide brimmed hat on her head and a book in her lap. Hilde, the cook, sat beside her, and the girls were talking and laughing together. James took this moment to admire his wife. She was the daughter of a widely respected, and rich, businessman from the Peacecraft line. When James first laid eyes on her, she was sixteen, and he'd been twenty-eight, and it was a Christmas party that the Peacecrafts were holding. James had only been invited on a whim; his own father had recently entered business with the Peacecrafts. That night, just after he'd arrived at the party, Relena Peacecraft had descended the staircase into the party. She had dressed in a glittering red dress, and her long, blonde hair had been swept into an updo that allowed the natural beauty of her face to shine. James had thought his heart stopped before his father slapped him on the back.

"That would make a good match, you and her," his father had whispered. James only nodded, and from that point on, until their wedding day two years later, he pursued her, and would not stop until she became his wife.

Even now, two years after their marriage, Relena's beauty shone from her face as brightly as it had when he saw her for the first time. No, he corrected, she was more beautiful. He knew, under where her hands rested on her abdomen, that she was carrying his child.

Relena turned her head and had noticed him, because she was smiling and rising from the chair. Beside her, he thought he saw Hilde's face darken, but after a blink, her face was smiling as well. James frowned, confused, but ignored it as Relena approached, her bare feet whispering through the grass. James noticed this small detail with annoyance, as he did not believe it was proper for a young girl to run around without shoes.

"James!" she called, and threw her arms around his neck. James hugged her to him, her slim body small in his arms.

"My dear," he replied, kissing her forehead. "I'm so sorry." Relena tightened her grip on him and shook her head.

"It isn't your fault! People are just so terrible! I wish they could all be as good as you!" Relena said, her voice sweet with honesty. James smiled sadly and pressed his lips against hers, ignoring the glances of the farm hands and other household staff. James released her and linked his arms through hers and directed her back into the house. They took seats beside each other on a couch in the parlor, and he took her hands in his.

"I'm going to do something about this. I'm going to hire someone to protect you..." James began, staring into her eyes.

"But we have Duo..." Relena began, but James cut her off.

"Duo is busy as it is. I'm going to find someone who can focus solely on keeping you safe. I can't avoid going to the city as often as I do, but I can do this for you. I don't want anything to happen to you or our child." Relena nodded up at him, small and childlike in his arms.

"As you say," Relena replied. James nodded and kissed her forehead once again.

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A/N: Thank you for the initial reviews! I really appreciate it! I promise I will get to the fan service eventually! Also, check out my updated profile for places to stalk me. I have created a new tumblr account for Gundam/1xR stuff as well!

Scarlet Eve


	3. Chapter 2

The Final Storm

Chapter 2

by Scarlet Eve

James excused himself not long after he'd arrived home to answer letters that had been waiting for his return. Relena watched him leave the parlor, and stayed sitting on the couch for a few moments, looking down at her hands and contemplating his words with a mixture of worry and excitement. A new person at the estate could be a great adventure, but what is the person was mean or unfriendly? Even so, she always had Duo and Hilde, who were always kind and made her laugh. She felt, ever since the move to the country, that they were her only friends. James was never home, and even if he was, he was always cooped up in his study

Relena rose from the couch and wandered through the house, her feet making slight sticking noises on each step, due to the humidity on the wood floors. She felt so exhilarated being barefoot, a habit she picked up from the farm hands, who would kick off their shoes and wade into the nearby river to cool off during the hot summer months. It was something she never would have been able to do back in the city.

She stepped back out of the house through the back door and onto the stone patio. The kitchen house extended off the back of the home, accessible through a hidden entrance in the dining room, though there was also a door to the outside. Now, it was propped open by a large rock, and smells of an early dinner were wafting out in the breeze. Relena followed her nose to the door and poked her head inside. Hilde had donned her apron and was standing at the large stove, where a large pot was boiling water with hints of herbs. She was chopping up vegetables, and there was half a chicken waiting to be roasted. And to Relena's delight, a strawberry pie was cooling on the windowsill.

"Miss Relena, you know Mister James doesn't like it when you are out here," Hilde said, glancing at her out of the corner of her eyes.

"I know," Relena replied dejectedly and leaned against the door jamb. "I just feel so useless sometimes, and that makes me bored." Hilde laughed.

"Miss Relena, you are a rich lady married to a rich man. You don't need to do anything! You can do whatever you want!" Hilde said, emphasizing her points with her wooden spoon.

"Except stand around in the kitchen house?" Relena asked with an arch of her eyebrow.

"Exactly," Hilde replied, smirking. "You can do whatever you want that doesn't anger Mr James."

"James said he'd going to hire someone to take care of me," Relena said.

"Are you infirm?" Hilde asked sarcastically.

"No, of course not. Not like that. He is going to hire me someone- a bodyguard, or something," Relena corrected. Hilde harrumphed.

"Well, that could be interesting," she said, and Relena nodded. "When is this going to happen?"

"I don't know. Whenever he returns to the city, I suppose," Relena replied. She watched Hilde bustle around the kitchen for a while before hoofbeats on the ground alerted the two women to the arrival of Duo. He reigned up the horse near the kitchen house and lept off onto the ground. His heavy work boots thudded on the ground, and his abnormally long braid settled against his back.

"Afternoon, ladies," he said with a grin. Relena grinned shyly.

"Hi Duo," she said. Hilde poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Hello darling," Hilde said with sarcastic affection, though she was smiling sweetly, as she always did when Duo was around. Duo hopped up to the door, brushing past Relena and kissed his wife fully on the lips. Relena looked away, blushing.

"Everyone is wondering when dinner will be ready," Duo said, setting himself down in an old wooden chair. Hilde tapped her chin with her wooden spoon.

"Soon. Mister James is back, so I'll be finishing up their dinner first, then our soup should be ready," Hilde declared. Duo sniffed the air.

"Chicken?"

"Yes."

"Delicious," Duo said. He rose up again and plucked a carrot from the pile of vegetables and kissed Hilde on the cheek. "Thank you, darling," he said and stepped out of the kitchen house.

"Duo! That carrot still has dirt on it!" Hilde called. Duo swung himself back up onto the horse.

"A little dirt never hurt anyone!" he called back as he rode away towards the gardens, then stuck the carrot in his mouth to chew on.

"Men!" Hilde cried exasperatedly, throwing her hands up in the air. Relena giggled.

"I'm envious of you and Duo," Relena said. Hilde snorted.

"Why?"

"You don't always have to act so formal," Relena said. "I've always got to watch my tongue when James is around. Though my mother and father always had to reprimand me to speaking my mind when I was younger as well."

"I suppose that's true, though I'd rather have your money in my bank," Hilde said. She was silent for a moment, then she laughed. "You do have a rather loose tongue, darling Relena," she said. "I think that's why I like you so much." Relena mimed a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry, but if a dress looks hideous on someone, they should know! It will spare them later embarrassment!" Relena declared. Hilde was nearly doubled over in laughter.

"Tell me the story again, Miss Relena! I love it!" Hilde pleaded through laughter. Relena smiled a bit devilishly.

"I was fifteen years old and my parents brought me along to a party. It was my first time going to a party somewhere other than our own home, so I was very excited. We arrived fashionably late, as usual for my parents, and we were introduced to the lady of the house. Lady Jules was a very large, overweight woman, who indulged in far too many chocolates. And the dress she picked out was this hideously gold orange dress that shimmered in the sunlight. And I, in my young naivety, said, 'My Lady, did your dressing woman not tell you that you look like a goldfish?' Oh Hilde, she was so angry that father and mother banished me to the carriage for most of the party." Hidle was wheezing with laughter.

"I do love you so, Miss Relena," Hilde said, trying to catch her breath. Relena smiled proudly, knowing that her tongue had earned her a bit of a reputation in the city. 'Do not look like a goldfish,' they would say, 'or Miss Relena Peacecraft will announce it to the world.'

Behind her, someone cleared his throat. Relena whirled around and found herself face to face with Pagan. He was smiling at her.

"There you are, Miss Relena," he said. "Mister James is requesting your presence before dinner."

"Yes, Pagan," Relena said. She threw a smile over her shoulder at Hilde, who waved, before Relena followed Pagan back into the house. Relena found James still in his study, bent over a letter, his bottle of bourbon open in front of him and his crystal glass still partially contained a bit of the amber liquid. Relena hesitated a moment before walking into the room, still a little afraid of the scowl that crossed his face from time to time. Before she could move, James looked up and his face swiftly softened into a smile.

"Darling," he said, and motioned her into the room with a wave of his hand. Relena stepped inside and sat down in the chair across from his desk. She always felt like a child in trouble with the headmistress when she sat in this particular chair. James handed over a letter to her and she took it. She glanced at the bottom and saw that it was from the town doctor and a friend, Quatre Winner. "Apparently while our friend Mister Winner was off in Europe, he got himself married. He would like to bring this new wife over soon to introduce her to us. There is a letter in here from her to you, as well," James handed over a second piece of paper. "I'm thinking we could have a small celebration. Invite the Kushranadas, and perhaps Miss Catherine and her brother, Trowa. Those two are always an entertaining pair." James did not look at her as he spoke, but continued to sift through his documents. "Schedule it for a month from now, as I will have to go back to the city tomorrow to finish what we had been working on. I will also bring you your protector at that time as well, so make sure to set the table for nine," James added. Relena nodded. "And take care of the menu you and all that, won't you darling?" Finally, he glanced up at her, his dark eyes meeting her own.

"Yes, of course," Relena said, nodding. James smiled.

"Wonderful, now do see if Pagan can tell us when dinner will be ready." Relena rose and left his study without another word, as his attention had returned to his work.

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I promise that 1xR fan service is coming! Just bare with me! :-P

Oh, and a special shout out to dootadoot for threatening me into posting... just kidding ;-)

-Scarlet Eve


	4. Chapter 3

The Final Storm

Chapter 3

by Scarlet Eve

_One Week Later_

James glanced at the small clock on his desk. It was already after one in the afternoon, and he had not eaten lunch. He pushed away some papers he'd been reading and looked out the large window in front of his desk. Below, he had a good view of the city below, with the bustling people and the congested traffic of motor cars and horse carriages trying to share the road. Beside the clock on his desk was a picture of Relena sitting in the parlor at home.

He'd spent a large part of the last week talking with people about hiring someone to protect his wife. James had received mixed opinions about the idea, but he was set on making sure she was not harmed, even if it cost him money. His father had little to say on the matter, and James' unorthodox mother simply said to teach the girl to shoot intruders. That last thing he wanted was for blood to stain Relena's hands. After a few referrals, he'd settled on a young man named Heero Yuy. The young man had no ties, no apparent family anywhere, and was, according to someone who'd hired him to accompany a young lady to the south, was willing to relocate. James was given a battered old card with Yuy's name on it, and scrawled in ink was the name of a pub where the young man spent much of his downtime.

James tucked away the card and cleaned up his desk. He also tucked his chequebook into his coat pocket and threw his jacket over his shoulder. Out on the street, he looked at the directions he'd written down to this place. Someone down in the mailroom had heard of it and had written down how to get there from the office building. James began to walk.

Before long, James had left the business district and entered into a poorer area. Men, women and children all stared at him as they shuffled down the streets. The smell of spoiled fish assailed his nose as he walked, so bad it was that he felt the need to cover his nose with his handkerchief. The street vendors selling food items threw him nasty glares at the gesture, so James quickly tucked his kerchief back into his pocket and tried to hold his breath. He began to feel distinctly uncomfortable, and considered that he should have hired a carriage for this trip.

In the back of his mind, James could almost hear his father reprimanding his behavior. "Son," he'd used to say, "You're better than all these dirty people. You need not be afraid of them, for anything they could do can be stopped by money." And his father would mime through money out to a crowd. James felt a little better, so he pulled himself together and continued to walk, his shoulders straightened and a scowl on his face. After that, the peasants avoid his path and his gaze.

Finally, he arrived at a sooty looking pub by the name of The Fox, and he pushed his way inside. All eyes turned to look at him, but it was only a moment before they all turned away, back to their drinks. James looked around, but did not know a physical description of the man he was looking for. He did notice, however, that there was a dark haired young man sitting in a far corner, alone, drinking a beer and finishing a meal. He wore a button up shirt with a heavy coat over it, and his clothing looked worn, but not necessarily dirty. James crossed the pub towards this man and stopped beside the table. The man looked up at him, an eyebrow quirked.

"Excuse me, but are you Heero Yuy?" James asked. The young man stared at him, as if attempting to read James' mind. James fidgeted, but then the young man nodded. "Might I have a word with you?" Yuy made a small flick of the hand towards the chair opposite of him. James sat down.

"Who are you?" the young man asked. His blue eyes bore into James' eyes, and James felt himself bristling, as if preparing for an attack. This Yuy fellow was immensely intimidating, though he was clearly many years younger than James himself.

"James Darlian." The name must have registered with him, as his head gave a slight nod. James waited for Yuy to speak again, but he did not. "I was hoping, if you aren't otherwise engaged, that I could hire you for a long term project."

"How long is long term?" Yuy asked.

"Hard to say. I live out in the country with my wife, and more than once, people have broken into my home and tried to kidnap her. The thought is that they want to ransom her," James explained, his hands splayed out in front of him, already appealing to Yuy to accept. Yuy frowned, his face otherwise impassive to his thoughts. James stared at him, waiting for some kind of response.

James was about to excuse himself and leave, but Heero leaned forward and crossed his arms over the table. "I'm not employed at the moment, so I'll take your job." James exhaled, glad the whole thing was easier than he'd expected. "I'll need an advance to come out and find lodging."

"Oh of course, I will pay for you to move, but you will have guest rooms at the house. You do not need to find separate lodgings. I need you close to my wife at all times," James said. Yuy shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever you wish," Yuy replied. "When?"

"I'll be returning home in two days time, so if you could come out there as soon as possible, it would be appreciated," James said. Yuy nodded and lifted his eyes to the ceiling, thinking.

"I will need to wrap up a few things here. I will plan on arriving two days after you," he said. James nodded.

"That's wonderful," James said, and drew the chequebook from his coat pocket. He wrote out a cheque to him with a high enough amount to cover moving expenses, and then some. James slid the cheque to Yuy, who took it, and looked mildly surprised.

"That will do." James nodded and rose. "Will you be here around the same time tomorrow?" Yuy nodded once again, still looking at the check. "Then I will send along someone from my office to give you all the information you will need. Thank you, Mister Yuy," James said, and he held his hand out to shake. To James' surprise, Yuy stared at his hand, as if the gesture were foreign to him. Finally, Yuy stood up as well and clasped his hand tentatively. James forced it into an acceptable handshake, released Yuy's hand then turned and left the pub as quickly as he could.

As soon as James was outside, he felt the desire to take a scalding hot bath, but has to settle for patting off his suit and checking for soot and grime. A few men lying against the side of the building gave him strange looks, but James tipped his chin up into the air and stepped off the sidewalk towards his office building, walking much quicker this time than he had on the way there.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think!

-Scarlet Eve


	5. Chapter 4

The Final Storm

Chapter 4

by Scarlet Eve

Heero Yuy watched in a state of mild amusement as James Darlian left the pub in a great hurry. He picked up the cheque again. The amount was more than enough to cover his expenses. But he supposed that living out in the middle of nowhere wouldn't afford him much opportunity to spend much money. He thought for a moment about what he could possibly buy with the extra money. The idea hit him and he couldn't believe he even had to think about.

Heero tossed a few bills on the table and rose. He tucked away the cheque and grabbed his bag from the floor. He patted the revolver at his back, and mentally told it that soon it would have a friend.

He had to make a quick stop at this Darlian man's bank to get the money from the cheque, then when he left, feeling richer, he wandered towards the home of his old friend, Dr. J.

The door to Dr. J's was hidden in shadows down an alley, but Heero had been there enough time to find it in his sleep. He pushed aside from garbage that had been left in front of his door, and banged on the thick wood. Heero waited impatiently, his fingers twiddling with the coins in his pocket. Finally, the door opened a crack and an eye looked out from the darkness at him.

"Ah, Heero, come in," Dr. J said, his gravely voice cutting through the moderate silence of the alley. Dr. J pulled the door open further and stepped aside to allow Heero into the apartment. Heero, out of habit, nodded to him, and tried to avoid looking into Dr. J's glass eye. From the looks of Dr. J's other eye, he'd probably lose that one too, at which point, the old man would be blind. Heero kicked the door closed behind him and followed Dr. J down the hall and through the door at the end.

The inside of the room was full of gadgets with little moving parts, all kinds of odds and ends, old books, tools and other clutter that had built up over time in this little space. Dr. J sat down on his stool, and Heero noticed that the old man hadn't bothered to pin up the rest of his coat sleeve, the one that was missing Dr. J's left arm. Heero stepped over and pinned it up for him.

"Thank you, my boy," Dr. J said. "What can I do for you?"

Heero gave Dr. J a half grin and pulled the wad of cash from his pocket. "I just got hired for a new job and I have a bit extra to spend," Heero said.

"Where is this new job?" Dr. J asked.

"I don't know exactly where yet. But some rich man needs me to make sure his precious wife doesn't get kidnapped," Heero explained.

"What? Does she have golden tits or something?" Dr. J asked with a smirk. Heero chuckled.

"I doubt it. Anyway, I came here to make a purchase. I want the one," he said, knowing that Dr. J would understand. Dr. J let out a laugh and turned around on his stool. He produced a key from a pocket and as Heero watched, unlocked a drawer and pulled it open. Inside lay the most beautiful thing Heero had ever seen. Out of excitement, Heero stepped up closer as Dr. J lifted the beauty from the drawer. It was a .45 caliber colt revolver, and it gleamed brightly, even in the dim light of the apartment. The grip had been custom made by Dr. J in one of his more lucid moments, and the reddish wood gleamed just as brightly as the finish on the barrel.

Heero held his hands out for it, wiggling his fingers slightly, as a child might when begging for a piece of candy or a toy. Dr. J handed the gun over to Heero, who closed his fingers over it. The weight felt just right, and as he shifted the gun around to hold it properly, he could position his hands on the grip perfectly.

"So you're ready to buy it?" Dr. J asked, and Heero nodded right away. Dr. J nodded and took the gun back to package it up inside the box it had come in. Heero picked up his cash and counted through until he pulled out the agreed upon amount. Dr. J took it without counting it, and handed over the box. "Take care of it," Dr. J said. "But enjoy it nonetheless." Heero thought about his next job, the one in the country somewhere. Surely the Darlians would have land enough for Heero to try out this new gun.

Once Heero had been squared away with Dr. J, Heero took his leave, explaining that he had a lot to do before he left town in three days. Of course, before Heero could even think about getting ready to leave, he had to buy some cartridges for his new gun.

And true to his word, four days later, Heero was riding in a carriage down the track towards the Darlian estate. Heero would have preferred to ride a horse, but he still had Darlian's money to burn, so he took the luxury trip on the train, and indulged to hire a carriage. Except now he was anxious to get out and move on his own. But judging by the small glimpses of a large house he was getting through breaks in the trees, he would be arriving at his destination soon. He wondered idly what this spoiled, rich wife would really be like. Heero supposed if she were anything like the Mister Darlian, that he could just increase their security measures around the house and then bail out of the job.

The carriage made a wide turn, and Heero looked back out the window. He could see a portion of the whitewashed house now, the large glass windows and the various plants and bushes lining the side of the house. Before long, the carriage rolled to a stop at the front door, and Heero stepped out. The estate wasn't quite as impressive as he imaged it, as it only had two stories. He supposed that it might be two very large stories. Glancing around, he guess it extended out further back, as this part of the country had room to sprawl, unlike the city, where everything must go up.

The double front doors opened and an older gentleman stepped out onto the porch. He had wispy white hair and heavy greying eyebrows. "Mister Heero Yuy?" the old man called out. Heero nodded once and climbed the short staircase to the porch. "Pleasure. My name is Pagan, and I am the butler here at the Darlian estate," he said, holding his hand out to shake. Heero complied, though he still did not understand this fascination with hand shaking. Most of the rich people he'd worked with before wouldn't even deign themselves to touch him. "The driver will bring in your luggage, so don't worry about that. Come with me," Pagan said, and gestured for Heero follow. They walked back into the house, leaving the front doors opened, and behind them, Heero could hear the driver grunting as he pulled down Heero's trunk. Heero inwardly scoffed. It wasn't that heavy.

Pagan led Heero through a hallway, and all along the walls hung portraits of people who all looked pretty similar. "All members of the Darlian family and their spouses," Pagan explained. Heero went rigid. He hadn't realized that his gaze was that obvious. They stopped outside of a large oak door. Pagan rapt on the door, and a muffled voice from the other side called, "Come in."

Pagan opened the door and Heero followed, stepping into a lushly decorated office. Heero was slightly impressed by the collection of artifacts in the room that must have been collected on travels around the world. Behind the large desk was James Darlian, the same man who'd meet Heero four days ago, but looking much more comfortable in his own element. Upon further inspection, however, Heero could see that James was scowling down at whatever he was working on, a scowl that was very vicious looking. Something dropped in the pit of Heero's stomach, and he immediately became suspicious of this man who presented such a formal front. Finally James looked up, the scowl disappearing and replaced by a smile.

"Ahh, Mister Yuy! So glad to see you!" James tossed his pen down and rose up from the chair. Another handshake, then Pagan bowed out of the room, and Heero sat down. "I'm afraid that I have some rather boring paperwork to go over with you first," James began, pulling out a stack of papers. Heero nodded, slightly annoyed, but it wasn't the first time a contract had been presented. James pushed the pile over to him for inspection. Heero took a deep breath and dove in.

A/N: Seriously, too excited about this story to wait to post. :-)

-Scarlet Eve

PS, Thanks to J. Hellscythe and dootadoot for reviewing!


	6. Chapter 5

The Final Storm

Chapter 5

by Scarlet Eve

Relena had watched from the second story hallway window as this new man arrived by carriage She had been surprised at how young he appeared to be, and how darkly attractive and brooding he seemed as well. A pinch of guilt pulled at her as she thought about his rustic looks, reminding her that she was indeed married and pregnant; her eternal binding contract.

Hilde didn't help much either.

She leaned over Relena's shoulder, also trying to catch a glimpse of him as he walked up the porch. "He's so handsome," Hilde commented. "Hard to believe he comes from the city."

"Yes..." Relena replied, still transfixed.

"Too bad I'm married," Hilde commented, and Relena whirled on her friend, planting her hands on her hips.

"Oh Hilde, that's terrible," Relena said, giving her a reproachful look. Hilde smiled and shrugged.

"You know I would never do that," Hilde replied, smirking. "Didn't your parents ever tell you that you could look at things, but not touch them?" At that, Hilde burst out laughing. Relena simply shook her head and turned back to the window, but he had disappeared into the house. Slightly disappointed, Relena turned away again and trotted over the hallway runner towards the bannister that looked down over the foyer. Hilde was close behind, and they both stood casually, looking down for the man. They saw as Pagan led him into the house, presumably towards James' office. Relena felt inexplicably drawn towards his eyes, which were a deep blue color. And though he was attractive, he certainly was intimidating. Relena felt prickles along her arms, almost like tiny lightning bolts striking all over her skin. He disappeared out of sight into James' office, so the girls turned away from the bannister.

"I predict that things will be more interesting around here from now on," Hilde said. Relena nodded and covered her mouth with her hands while she giggled.

"Ahem."

The girls whirled around to face Pagan, who had snuck up on them, presumably from the servant staircase.

"Miss Hilde, I believe you are supposed to be in the kitchen?" Pagan said, half a question, half an order. Hilde slumped her shoulders slightly and nodded.

"Yes sir," she mumbled, then glanced at Relena and gave her a smile. "We'll talk later," she whispered, then followed Pagan down the hidden staircase to the back of the house, leaving Relena alone, again.

She wandered back to her room and closed the door quietly behind her. She opened the door to her small balcony and stepped out. In the distance, dark clouds were rolling over each other, and the wind had picked up since earlier in the day. Just another spring storm. The sky lit up briefly when lightning struck, and thunder rumbled. Relena stood there on the balcony, leaning on the railing, until the first raindrops began to fall. She watched as not far away, the farm hands scrambled to finish their tasks before dashing into the cabins for shelter. Relena mused that her husband would never let her near the gardens in order to help, even though it might bring her amusement. Although, next time he left for the city, she might be able to sneak out there, except Relena was sure that someone would tell him, and as a result, she might have to endure that scowl directed at her instead of elsewhere.

Behind her, the bedroom door opened and a light footstep sounded on the wood floor. Relena turned and saw James standing in the doorway.

"My dear Relena, why on earth are you standing out in the rain?" he asked her, crossing the room quickly and pulling her back into the house. His grip on her upper arm was tight, and Relena winced slightly in the pain. James pulled the balcony doors closed again and looked down at Relena, brushing a few raindrops from her hair.

"I was just watching the storm," she admitted, looking up at him through her eyelashes, a move she'd used before with much success. James' face softened, predictably, and he took her in his arms.

"I only want my wife safe, and my child safe," he said. Relena nodded, her cheek pressed against his chest. Even from there, she could smell the bourbon he'd been drinking while in his office. "Anyway, I want you to come and meet our new employee here before dinner," James added, pulling away from her. "Please get ready for dinner first. I want you looking your best." He ran a critical eye over her, from her bare feet, to her tousled, wet hair, and what she referred to as her "lounging gown." Relena always felt so exposed and naked when he did that.

"Of course," she replied. James nodded and stepped out from the room. Relena rushed up behind him and pulled her door closed, then let a few tears fall down her cheeks as she slumped against the door. She'd always imagined a husband who wouldn't care about her looks. And besides, she was out here in the country with hardly anyone to judge her. What did it matter? Feeling frustrated and defiant, Relena rubbed at her cheeks with the hem of her dress and marched herself to the hidden door that opened up into her dressing room. Marge, the housekeeper, was already in there, folding up Relena's undergarments and storing them away.

"Miss Relena," she said with a bow. The older woman had been hired away from one of Relena's neighbors when she left the city. Relena couldn't be sure, but she thought that the Marge was happier out here, and may even had a thing for Pagan.

"Marge, the husband would like me dressed for dinner before I am presented to my new protector," Relena said, throwing herself onto the chaise lounge. Marge laughed and ran the sleeve of her dress over her forehead.

"Miss Relena, one would think you grew up in the slums," Marge said, walking to the closet to sift through Relena's numerous dinner dresses.

"Marge!" Relena cried as she pulled herself into a sitting position on the lounge. "I'm just... just a free spirit! Like the Indians!" Marge glanced over her shoulder at Relena and gave her a skeptical look.

"No, Miss Relena. You are a Peacecraft, born and bred in high society. You've been dressing for dinner since you were old enough to eat solid foods. This is no time to change that," Marge scolded. Relena hung her head, feeling a bit like a child.

"Yes Marge..." Relena mumbled. Marge pulled a newer silk gown from the closet and draped it over a large chair. It was a light pink color with white ruffles on the skirt. Relena pulled off her plain gown and tossed it aside. Marge made a twirling motion with her finger and held up a corset. Relena groaned but did Marge's bidding, and soon, she was stuffed inside the corset, stuck into the dress and the buttons up the back were being laced. Relena straightened her shoulders, as it usually helped to relieve her lungs a bit. Once dressed, Relena sat on her bench in front of the dressing table and Marge proceeded to brush out Relena's hair and pin it in loose curls on top of her head. The modern styles didn't suit Relena's face, as Marge always said, so the older woman took liberties with the young girl's hair to make her look pretty without looking too trampy. Relena knew this, but she always liked what Marge came up with. Relena powdered her face in the meantime and touched up her blush on her cheeks. Marge finally twisted up the remaining hair on Relena's head and pinned it in placed with several well placed stabs into Relena's skull with hair pins.

"There, Miss Relena. I believe Mister James will approve," Marge said, taking a step back and placing her hands on her voluminous hips. Relena twisted her head from side to side, taking a good look at the style Marge had created for her, and nodded.

"Thank you. You really can do wonders with hair," Relena said, giving her up-do a pat of appreciation. Marge smiled her tight lipped smile, handed Relena a pair of light pink silk slippers, then shooed her out of the dressing room.

Relena slid her feet in the delicate slippers and proceeded on her way to the stairs. From the landing, she could hear two male voices speaking; one was James and the other, the deep, sultry voice, had to be the new employee. Relena felt a surge of butterflies in her stomach, an unusual feeling from only meeting someone new. Relena placed her hands over her compressed stomach, thinking of the small human inside of her, and tried to calm her nerves. After several minutes, she felt ready to descend the steps.

Relena found the pair in the parlour, where the door had been left open. The two men were standing near the unlit fireplace, both with crystal glasses of bourbon in their hands. James was already dressed for dinner in one of his suits, and the newcomer still wore his travel garb. Relena stepped into the room quietly, her hands clasped in front of her, trying to keep her eyes lowered politely as she crossed the room. But she couldn't help herself from admiring the man standing with her husband. He was young, hardly older than herself even, with tousled brown hair, a color that reminded Relena of the best chocolates she'd seen in the city. His eyes were a deep blue, and as she walked, she saw him glance at her, and his gaze ripped through her, as if he could see straight into her soul. It stopped Relena in her tracks, and she stood, openly gaping at him for a moment before her husband cleared his throat.

"My dear, do not stare. It is impolite," James said. There was a small clink as he rested his glass on the mantle over the fireplace, and he stepped to her side and guided her towards the man.

"Relena, this is Mister Heero Yuy, our new employee who will be living here to keep you safe from predators," James said by way of introduction. Relena lifted her eyes to him, still slightly afraid of his gaze, but she found that the intense stare had softened slightly, and she managed a smile.

"It is a pleasure, Mister Yuy. I am Relena Darlian," Relena said, remembering her manners and curtseying slightly before holding her hand out to him.

-/-\-

A/N: Please let me know what you think!

-Scarlet Eve


	7. Chapter 6

The Final Storm

Chapter 6

by Scarlet Eve

Heero stared at the hand being offered to him by his employer's wife. What was the fascination with hands among these rich people, Heero wondered to himself. He glanced quickly at James, who was watching him expectantly, so Heero reached out and shook the young wife's hand. Her face changed swiftly from confusion to amusement in a flash, and her light blue eyes danced as she watched him. Heero took his hand away quickly and bowed.

"Wonderful," James said under his breath, more to himself, Heero supposed, then clapped his hands together. "I am quite hungry. Let us move to the dining room." Heero nodded, and chanced another look at the wife, Relena Darlian. She was quite pretty, much to his surprise, as he'd expected someone the same age as Darlian. But she was young, with smooth porcelain skin and golden blonde hair. And her eyes, which reminded Heero of the blue skies out west, were large and childlike. He couldn't help but feel that her innocence was one of the reasons for her constant danger.

She curtsied to him once more and followed behind her husband, and Heero followed her to the dining room. This room, like all the others, was richly furnished and decorated. The table had already been set for three. Heero hung back, waiting to see where the other two would sit, as he rarely ever actually dined with his employers. James took the seat at the head of the table, and Relena stepped around to the other side and sat down. Heero took the empty space, his eyes still shifting around the room, trying to take it all in. He felt very uncomfortable, which was something he hardly felt and disliked greatly. He knew he still must be dirty from traveling, and these two were dressed nicely, not to mention, there were more forks on the table than he deemed unnecessary for a single meal.

Heero sat down and scooted his chair up to the table. A moment later, a door on the other end of the room swung open and the older gentleman, Pagan, entered carrying a silver tray with bowls of soup. Pagan served the lady first, then James, then Heero himself. Heero thought he caught a strange look upon Pagan's face when he looked at him, almost like a distrust. It unsettled Heero a bit, but he took up, thankfully, the only spoon and began to eat. James began to talk about his father's business, some kind of manufacturing company.

"You will be staying home for a while, won't you?" Relena asked him. Heero watched James from the corner of his eye, who only shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm afraid I will need to return once more, but I suppose I could afford a few days here," he replied, and his wife smiled. James patted her hand. "But I will be home before the party. Speaking of which," James turned his attention back to Heero. "We'd like you to attend our party as a guest." Heero raised his eyes skeptically. "Oh it is nothing too elaborate. Just a couple of friends, drinks and dinner. Perhaps a bit of music and dancing," James added. Heero nodded, and returned to his soup.

"You don't speak much, do you?" Relena asked him from across the table. Heero glanced up at her, but before he had a chance to respond, James cut in.

"Darling, you shouldn't be so rude," he said, his tone strongly suggesting that he was scolding a child. Relena cast her eyes down towards her bowl, likewise looking like a scolded child. Heero felt a bit sorry for her.

"My clients do not often engage me in conversation," Heero explained. Relena glanced up at him from under her eyelashes, and gave him a small, grateful smile. But the scowl on James' face that he directed towards his wife did not go unnoticed by Heero. That uneasy feeling he got when he sensed danger dropped to his stomach, and his appetite was quite diminished.

After dinner, James shooed his wife off, who left without a word, and invited Heero to join him in his study once more. Over another glass of bourbon, James explained to Heero about the times that their home had been broken into, once when James was home, and once when he was not, and what all had happened as far as he could discern. Heero listened without speaking, sipping slightly on his drink, and gleaned more from the conversation than James had intended. The man's alcohol tolerance was quite low, and before long, his eyes took on the glassy sheen of the intoxicated. In nearly the same breath, he praised his love for his wife, and yet complained about her willful nature and wild spirit. Heero confirmed on his own that James thought of his wife as a child, and wondered how old she'd been when they were married.

Before long, James was dozing in his chair, and Heero was anxious for a bed to sleep in. Though he'd taken the most luxurious method out to this estate that he could think of, he was still tired from the travel and the inordinate amount of interaction he'd had with this family already. Heero wasn't sure if he should just leave the room, so he rose and wandered around the study, inspecting the collection of books on the shelves and some of the artifacts on the mantle. As he inspected a curious golden monkey statue, the door to the study opened and Pagan stepped inside. Heero watched him glance at James, then to himself.

"Good evening, Mister Yuy. If you would like, I can direct you to your rooms," Pagan said. Heero followed without a word, but with one more glance at the dozing man of the house. There was a thin trail of drool trickling from the corner of his mouth to the bottom of chin, where it dripped onto the lapel of his suit. Heero held back a laugh and followed Pagan from the room. The two headed down the hallway towards the stairs at the front of the house. They climbed, each step bringing a creak from the footfalls. Heero was curious about this, if people were able to sneak into the house without waking anyone on the steps. They were quite loud, despite their relative newness. At the top of the steps, Pagan turned towards the right and gestured to a door.

"That is your room there. Your belongings have already been brought up," Pagan explained, then pointed to a door across the hall. "That room is Miss Relena's. James wanted you nearby in order to hear anything, should someone manage to break into the house again." Pagan fell silent for a moment, and Heero watched him as he seemed to contemplate what to say next. Pagan's face softened as he glanced towards Relena's closed door. "I'm sure Mister James explained to you his expectations?" Pagan asked, and Heero nodded. "Did he tell you anything about the Mistress?"

"Only that she is willful and wild," Heero replied. Pagan chuckled.

"Quite true. Miss Relena rises early with the sun, and usually spends the day as she will. There is not much structure here, for meals and the like, since Mister James is gone so often, and Relena will eat and request tea when she desires it. Tomorrow I will introduce you to the rest of the staff, who will be able to help you keep an eye out for Relena. Her safety is much more important now that she is pregnant. We will talk more in the morning," Pagan said, as Heero tried to stifle a yawn. Pagan pushed open the door to Heero's room. "You should have everything you need," he said, gesturing to the room. "Through that door there is the washroom. Sleep well, Mister Yuy." Heero nodded to him, and Pagan withdrew from the room and closed the door.

Heero unholstered his two guns that had been concealed beneath his shirt, and laid them side by side on the nightstand beside the bed. He kicked off his boots under the bed, and took another quick glance around the room. There more pieces of furniture and other items that Heero would never need to use in his lifetime, and he wondered how anyone found a use for all these things. He wandered to the washroom, expecting nothing more than a bowl and a pitcher of water, but was surprised to find that it was an actual washroom, with a toilet and a tub. Heero leaned over the tub and twisted one of the taps. Water rushed into the tub, hot water, and Heero thought for a moment about taking a scalding hot bath, but the comfortable bed in the other room was calling to him much louder. He turned off the tap, discarded his clothes and climbed into the soft bed.

The creak of the steps dragged Heero from his sleep. For a moment, he was confused, trying to remember where he was. Slowly, his task slowly came back to him, and he shifted off the bed and onto the chilled wood floor. How could anyone break into this house and make it up the steps without waking anyone?

There was a heavy knock on the door. Heero began to walk towards the door wearing only his undergarments, but remembered his manners, such as they were, and pulled on the Levis he'd worn the day before. He opened the door to find Pagan standing on the other side, holding a tray with a bowl and a teapot.

"Good morning, Mr. Yuy. I have brought your breakfast," Pagan said. Heero nodded to him and took the tray.

"Thank you," he said. Pagan looked mildly confused, but said nothing.

"The mistress will be waking up soon, which is why I brought this to you, in case you hadn't already woken," Pagan explained. Heero nodded again and set the tray on the table beside the door. "Miss Relena- she is uh..." Pagan wrung his hands together, and Heero wondered if he was reluctant to speak ill against his employer's wife. "She tends to disregard her own safety. From the letters I have received from her former nursemaid, she has always been that way. She will need help to keep herself out of trouble, since Mister Darlian is gone much more often than he used to."

"I am a glorified nursemaid?" Heero asked, raising an eyebrow. Pagan had no response, except to smile sadly. Heero inhaled and exhaled deeply, calming the itch of nerves along his skin. "I will fill my duties to protect her," he said. Pagan smiled, bowed, and left him. Heero closed the door and turned around. "Heighten the security measures in this house and get the hell out," he mumbled to himself. He glanced in the bowl on the tray that Pagan had brought. It looked like porridge, but there were large pieces of fruit as well. Heero shrugged and ate his breakfast.

-/-\-

A/N: I'll probably just keep posting consistently under I get to the good stuff :-P. I have 12 chapters written already. Thank you to those who have been reading!

Also, evidently, when I TRIED to post chapter 5, it didn't post, or I forgot. Either way, hope you enjoy the double update.

-Scarlet Eve


	8. Chapter 7

The Final Storm

Chapter 7

by Scarlet Eve

Relena stood over Marge's sleeping form, hands planted on her hips. The older woman had fallen asleep on the lounge in Relena's dressing room, was snoring loudly, and was not waking up for anything. Relena tried once more, pushing against her large forearm, and calling, "Marge!" Nothing. Not even a disrupted snore. Pouting slightly, Relena turned away and rummaged through her closet on her own. She eventually found a simple pink dress and pulled it on. There were ribbons in the back that she could not tie herself.

"Curse you Marge," Relena said to herself, trying to tie the ribbons. She attempted for several minutes before she finally gave up and slipped out of the room. In the hallway, she saw that Heero Yuy's door was opened slightly. Curious, she tiptoed to the crack in the door and peered inside. He'd drawn the curtains and had not lit a candle, for the room was dark. There was a pile of clothes on the ground beside the bed, and a pair of heavy boots, the same he'd had on the night before. Beside the door, a silver tray, breakfast from the kitchen, sat on the table. It appeared that he had already eaten.

The door to the washroom opened and a bit of steam escaped. Before Relena could pull back and hide, she caught a glimpse of Heero, bare from the waist up. His pants were not fastened, and showed his masculine lines leading down behind the clothing he wore. His chest was muscular, much more so than James, and there was a rugged hardness to him that Relena found surprisingly attractive. His hair was wet and water droplets dripped down his face and onto his chest. Relena felt heat rise up into her cheeks. She quickly drew away from the door and flew down the steps.

Her bare feet whispered across the wood floor all the way to the back of the house. She cut through the dining room and burst into the kitchen house through the door that separated the two rooms. Hilde was already sitting at the small table, drinking tea.

"Relena," she whispered harshly, and shifted her gaze around. Relena pulled out a chair and sat down quickly.

"Oh Hilde, I just have to tell you..." Relena began to say, but Hilde cut her off.

"Are you feverish? Your face is so red!" she said, reaching out to touch Relena's cheek.

"No, no, I'm alright," Relena insisted. She grabbed Hilde's arm. "You'll never guess what just happened!" Hilde looked at the young girl skeptically.

"What?"

"I was peeking in Mister Yuy's room," Relena began, "and I saw his chest." Relena's eyes were wide with excitement.

"Relena..." Hilde said, her face contorting into a mixture of confusion and worry. "Why were you looking in his room?" Relena shook her head instantly.

"No, no, that's not the point. Oh Hilde, he's so handsome!" Relena gushed, and Hilde had to laugh. "He has actual muscles, unlike James, who is just like a pillow," Relena added. Hilde laughed harder.

"My Duo might look similar," Hilde said. Relena nodded.

"Yes. The men who work." Relena leaned back in the chair and laced her fingers over her abdomen.

"You are quite the sheltered girl," Hilde said. Relena wrinkled her nose. "You'd see a lot more if you grew up the way I did." Relena was about to ask for more information, but the door opened and Pagan stood there, staring down at the two girls.

"Miss Relena," he said, in that same voice James often used, as if scolding a small child. "You know you aren't supposed to be out here." Relena sighed and rose from the chair. Hilde said nothing and averted her eyes while she continued to drink her tea. "Where is Marge?"

"She is still asleep, snoring so loudly that she woke me up," Relena declared. Pagan stopped her in the dining room and motioned for her to turn. She did, and she felt the tug and pull of Pagan lacing the ribbons on the back of her dress.

"Do try to show Mister Yuy that we are not a pack of wild animals here," Pagan said, and Relena nodded obediently. Pagan finished with her ribbons. "Mister James and Mister Yuy are at the front of the house, discussing security measures. It would be best if you did not get in the way."

Relena sneered at Pagan when he turned away, but she walked properly, though she still did not have anything on her feet, and made her way to the front door. Both doors were open already, and Heero was kneeling, inspecting the lock. James stood nearby, one hand on his hip and the other resting over his stomach. At Relena's approach, James smiled.

"Good morning, darling," he said. Relena returned the greeting and hung back, her arms crossed over her abdomen, watching.

"This lock is ancient," Heero said. "It is no wonder they get in so easily." He rose and turned towards James. "I know of one that would work much better, but you'd have to get it from the city or have it delivered out here."

"Of course. Whatever is best," James said. The two men turned and walked away from Relena, down the porch steps and into the lawn. Heero was still talking, pointing to the side of the house, but Relena couldn't make out what he was saying. James was listening and nodding, following Heero around. Relena thought he looked like a puppy following its master, and was happy to see someone else controlling James for once.

Behind Relena, she could hear the great lumbering sounds of Marge walking down the steps. Relena turned to look over her shoulder, her eyebrows raised.

"You are finally awake," Relena said rather insolently. Marge scowled at her, then made a shooing motion with her hands.

"Run along and play, little girl," she said. Relena's eyes grew wide and her face fell into a frown to rival Marge's. As the woman waddled past Relena, she could smell the stale wine smell clinging to her clothes. She must have been out drinking in the barn with some of the field hands, and doing who knows what else. Relena stomped her foot out of annoyance and turned away to follow the men out in the yard.

They were still talking about windows, so Relena simply hung around, waiting for them to be done with their conversation. A few times, Relena caught Heero glancing at her, from over the shoulder of James. She smiled devilishly at him each time until he looked away. James began to lead Heero around the side of the house, so Relena followed, too. In the distance, there was another roiling collection of clouds, threatening to bring rain once again.

Once they were in the back of the house and Heero was examining the layout of the area, a strange man emerged from the house with Pagan close on his heels. "Mister Darlian!" the man called, startling everyone. James turned.

"Who are you?" James asked. Relena noticed that Heero's hand had moved to his lower back, and she wondered if he was carrying a gun.

"Just a messenger, sir. I have an urgent letter from James Darlian, senior," he said, pulling the note from his pocket and handing it over. James took it and read it over.

"Damn," he mumbled. Relena sidled up to him.

"What is it?" she asked sweetly.

"There's a problem. I need to return tonight," he said, then turned to look at Relena. "I'm sorry I could not stay home longer." Relena looked at him sadly, but patted his arm.

"Do what you need to do for the business," she said. James nodded, apologized to Heero and directed the messenger inside so he could write a letter back that he was on his way. Relena crossed her arms over her chest.

"He does this often?" Heero asked her. Relena glanced at him and nodded. With a sigh, Relena excused herself and entered the house to go to her room. Her usual exhaustion was already settling down into her bones, and she craved her bed.

-/-\-

:-)

Scarlet Eve


	9. Chapter 8

The Final Storm

Chapter 8

by Scarlet Eve

-/-\-

The next morning, Heero was lounging on one of the couches in the parlour, a book in one hand, one foot resting on the knee of his other leg. He'd somehow, despite what Pagan had said about her sleeping habits, been able to wake up earlier than Relena. The night before, after she'd disappeared to her room, he didn't see her at all. Even when James tried to say good bye, she only cracked the door slightly. Heero thought this was strange behavior, and was tempted to ask her about it. Heero had spent the rest of the day unpacking his trunk, and had borrowed a horse to ride up to the train depot to send off an order for some parts for the locks on the doors and windows.

Before long, he heard soft footsteps on the steps, and a blonde head peeked into the parlour.

"Good morning, Mister Yuy," she said politely, stepping into the room and giving him a quick curtsy.

"Good morning," he replied, his voice low. Heero noticed that just as the previous day, she wore nothing on her feet. "Just call me Heero," he added. Relena sat down in the chair across from him.

"And you can just call me Relena," she replied. He nodded, though he wondered if that would change once James returned home. He watched her as she sat on the chair, fidgeting with her dress and her hair that hung down over her shoulders.

"This is not how you spend your day," Heero said. Relena was startled at the statement, and she stared at him. He was gazing at her intently, and he saw a flush creep up over her cheeks.

"No," she replied. Heero rose and gestured towards the door.

"Don't let me stop you," he said. Relena jumped up, and led the way towards the back of the house. She stepped out the door onto the porch with Heero close behind. The lawn stretched out from there, dotted occasionally by old, strong trees. In the distance, the workers were already at the gardens, and the foreman was up on his horse, watching the progress. Another woman was in the chicken coop, picking up eggs from the nests. Heero knew of these two people, though he did not know their names. Luckily for him, Relena supplied him with the information.

"Hilde over there, is the cook, and Duo, out on the horse, is the foreman, and also married to Hilde. They live in a cottage about a mile from the house on the land," Relena explained. She stepped down into the grass. "The gardens were already being worked when we bought this house from the previous owners. James was good to keep those employed, and he sells everything at a low price to the villagers down the road. So at least it is a little bit of extra income to give to our staff. James feeds them as well. He is quite kind that way," Relena rambled, and Heero noted that it sounded rehearsed, like she explained it to all her guests.

"Hn." Relena glanced up at Heero, and he raised his eyebrows at her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you do for fun," she said quietly, turning away slightly.

"Don't worry about me," he replied. "I'm being paid to be here." Though he hadn't intended to sound rude, his words came out gruff and uninterested. Relena's expression changed, and Heero wondered if he should say something else in a nicer tone. Before he could think of anything else to say, she shrugged her shoulders and walked through the grass towards a large tree, where there was already two chairs set up beneath the shade. Heero watched her walk ahead of him, his head tilted to the side. During his trip out to the estate, he'd imagined a woman full of herself, with an attitude befitting her money and upbringing, but Relena was a mystery to him.

He watched her throw herself into a chair and sort of curl up into herself. As Heero approached, the young woman who was in the chicken coop began to walk towards Relena. She was carrying a basket full of eggs.

"Miss Relena!" she called, waving an arm above her head. Relena sat up and smiled.

"Hilde!" Hilde stopped beside the chair and set down her basket, then took the chair beside Relena. The other woman then turned towards Heero, settling her gaze on him as he approached the tree.

"Heero, this is Hilde," Relena said, gesturing to the young woman. Heero nodded his head, waited a moment to see if he would have to shake her hand, but was relieved when her hands remained in her lap.

"I hope you're up to the challenge," Hilde said mildly, averting her gaze from him and leaning back to Relena. She whispered something, something Heero certainly wasn't meant to hear, then she rose, took her basket and called "good bye" over her shoulder as she made her way up the lawn towards the kitchen house. Heero looked at Relena, who was grinning and blushing, it seemed.

"Are you really as wild as they all say?" Heero asked her, sitting in the chair beside her. She threw him a somewhat offended look.

"I am not wild," she countered, huffing a bit and folding her arms over herself.

"Hn."

Heero pulled a book from his pocket, a well-worn book that he always kept with him for situations such as these. It was his favorite book, Dracula, by Bram Stoker. He noticed Relena eyeing the worn out book that was missing the back cover, but he ignored her, intent on not giving her the amount of attention that she seemed to require from those around her.

Beside him, she made little noises, huffs and scoffs and heavy sighs, and Heero assumed she was trying to draw his attention. But his eyes and mind remained fixed on his book. From his travels and various jobs, he'd learned to read even if the world around him was chaotic.

After a while, Heero glanced at her, and found that she was asleep, her body positioned away from him on her chair. Heero took the moment to admire her obvious beauty, free from her childish expressions and indignant looks. Asleep, her face was expressionless, but her skin glowed in the morning sunlight. Heero supposed he could tolerate his assignment if she was asleep the entire time.

Hoof beats and an approaching shadow pulled his attention away from her.

"You must be the one who's got the job of keeping an eye on our little princess," the rider said as he swung down from the horse. Heero noticed that his voice seemed to be full of laughter, as if something were funny. Heero also noticed that this man had a very long braid down his back, longer than Relena's hair. Heero nodded. "Name's Duo Maxwell," he said, sticking his hand out. Heero returned the gesture, which was different than the handshake with James. Rather than a soft hand and a polite shake, Duo grasped his hand roughly and shook his hand up and down several times before making a quick release.

"Heero Yuy."

"Good to meet you. I see she's asleep already. Rough morning?"

"No. Not unless moving from the house to this tree is work," Heero said, a bit of scorn leaking into his voice.

"Miss Relena has more energy than that. This pregnancy must be hard on her. It is pretty strange for her to be so exhausted," Duo explained, his hands on his hips as he looked down fondly at the girl. Heero rose from his chair, tucking the book away into his pocket.

"I see," he replied. "I was wondering about something."

"Anything," Duo said, a goofy smile on his face.

"Do you have a place to try out a new gun?" Heero asked.

"Of course," Duo replied, his attention caught. In a swift movement, Heero pulled his new gun from somewhere beneath his clothes and handed it over to Duo, who inspected it, making noises of approval. "Where did you get this?"

"Can't say," Heero said. Duo nodded, still admiring the gun.

"Understandable. That is a beauty. After quitting time, let's you and me head out and put that gun to the test," Duo said. Heero nodded again, took the gun back and tucked it away. "Mister Darlian is quite the collector, and does a little shooting for sport, but he's no hunter," Duo said. He turned and looked over at the field. "I should get back. Take care of her," he added, motioning to Relena with his chin.

"I will." Duo pulled up on the reins and the horse broke out into a canter, speeding towards the fields. Heero sat back down and stretched his arms and legs out. Beside him, Relena stirred. She slowly rose her head, her unruly hair tumbling over her shoulder in a golden wave, a slight smile on her face. But she looked around and met Heero's gaze, and a scowl replaced the smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Heero asked out of politeness. Relena huffed and turned away. Heero rolled his eyes and reminded himself that as soon as his parts arrived, he'd fix everything up and high tail it out of this estate, leaving this bratty, self-important girl behind him.

From the corner of his eye, he watched as Relena settled in her chair, chewing on her thumbnail. Heero thought that was a strange thing for a high born girl to do, but there she was, tearing the skin on her finger and staring off across the fields. Her attention broke when a door slammed up at the house, and Pagan appeared on the lawn, carrying a silver tray. Relena glanced over and seemed to reluctantly straighten herself up in the chair.

It took several minutes for Pagan to walk across the lawn, and finally, he stopped beside Relena's chair and lowered the tray to her level. "Miss Relena, the RSVPs for the party have arrived," he said. For the first time all morning, Relena's face lit up with excitement, and she bounced out of her chair and swept the envelopes off the tray. She began to open the first one and slipped out a small gilded card. She squealed.

"The actors have accepted! Oh, I'm so excited!" Relena said, hugging the small card to her chest. Heero stared at her for a moment, then glanced at Pagan. The older man's mouth turned up into a slight smile, then he bowed and excused himself. Relena sat back down and methodically opened each envelope and read over the cards inside. Heero could almost feel her excitement and energy filtering off her skin and permeating the air around her. His surprise swelled as he watched her, seemingly in her element for the first time since Heero had arrived.

Relena rose again, holding all the little cards as if they were precious jewels, and looked to Heero.

"I have some arrangements to make, so I'll be going into the house," she said, a little haughtily, and she whirled around and ran through the grass towards the house. Heero stared after her, feeling slightly confused, but he rose and followed her at his own pace.

He found her in the parlor, sitting at a small desk in the corner. She had arranged the little cards in rows in front of her, and she was writing furiously on a piece of paper. She had a few catalogs stacked up beside her, some with pieces of paper sticking out between the pages.

"What is all the excitement about?" Heero asked as he stepped into the room.

"James wanted to throw a party to celebrate the marriage of a friend of ours, and everyone has accepted! Now I can plan the menu and the decorations and music..."

She continued to talk, but Heero's mind stopped listening. A party? His least favorite affair. Perhaps, as an employee, he wouldn't be required to attend… but his memory of his first night at the estate reminded him that he was already invited to the party. Inwardly, he groaned.

Heero sat with her for a while, but she was so absorbed in her task that she only spoke out loud to herself as she shuffled through pages of catalogs. Heero continued to read his book, until loud boots thumping against the wood floor caught Heero's attention. Heero glanced up and saw Duo standing in the doorway, a grin on his face.

"Howdy," he said. "You ready to go out back?" Heero nodded fervently, and rose from the couch. He glanced at Relena and was about to say something when Duo shook his head.

"She won't even notice. She'll be fine." The two men exited the house and tromped off towards the fields. "How have things been going with the little princess?"

"Spoiled princess more like," Heero grumbled, but that only elicited a laugh from Duo.

"No one would argue with you there, buddy," Duo said. A moment passed, and Duo suddenly became serious. "Don't judge her too harshly, though. There is a lot more going on under the surface than you realize." Heero was suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding from Duo's statement.

"What do you mean?" Heero asked, but Duo simply shook his head. The two rounded around a barn. They reached an area away from the barns and the fields where there was a large hill. There were already wooden structures for holding targets, and an array of rusted cans and old bottles. "Here we are!"

Heero was unable to shake the feeling he had, and was intensely curious about what Duo had meant. But his desire to try out the new gun was stronger at the moment. He pulled his gun from under his shirt and checked the cylinder. It was full, as it should have been. Heero lifted up the gun with both hands, feeling the weight settle in his grip. With a thumb, he pulled back the hammer until it clicked. With a finger on the trigger, Heero aimed the barrel at a glass bottle on the wooden structure. Duo made sure to stand back. Heero pulled back on the trigger, bracing for the recoil.

Fire blasted from the barrel and there was a roar, and Heero nearly lost his balance. But his aim was true and the glass bottle, along with a portion of the wooden structure were nearly disintegrated.

"Shit!" Duo cried, laughing. Heero lowered the gun, a half smile on his face. Duo stepped up beside him and admired the destruction of the shot. "That's powerful," he added, and Heero nodded. In a move that Heero normally wouldn't have done, he offered the gun over to Duo, to have the second shot. "Oh sure!" He took the gun, and Heero stepped back this time. Duo took aim and squeezed the trigger. He lost more balance than Heero, and the aim fired wide, blowing out a chunk of the hill near the top. Duo was laughing, and handed the gun back.

"Nice shot," Heero said sarcastically. Duo nodded, still laughing. Heero took aim once more, and fired off the last four rounds, one after another, blasting holes in the wooden structure. After the sound of the fourth shot dissolved, the wooden structure collapsed on itself. Heero lowered the gun and smiled.

"Probably have to fix that thing up," he commented. Duo snorted.

"Yeah I think so."

-/-\-

A/N: I apologize for the delay. I was out of town gathering more inspiration during the holiday weekend. :-) But we're back!

Thanks again to all my reviewers, followers and favorites! I look forward to hearing your thoughts about this story!

-Scarlet Eve


	10. Chapter 9

The Final Storm

Chapter 9

by Scarlet Eve

Relena spent the next several days in a cloud of her own making, a cloud of excitement and planning. She was in her element. Not only that, she was excited to see her friends, hoping that their arrival would bring about some cheer to the estate. James had sent a letter along saying that he would be detained for a while longer in the city. Though his tone in the letter was upbeat, Relena felt deep in her chest that something wrong was happening with the business. He'd never had to spend this much time in the city before. But with James out of the way, Relena was free to work on the party without him intruding or interrupting her.

As for Heero, Relena had noticed that he continued to read that old, ratty book over and over again, so she told him to take his pick of books among the shelves of the library. Though he said nothing save for a quiet thank you, the light in his eyes shone brightly when he saw the floor to ceiling shelves stuff full of books. After that, Relena mostly ignored him. His comment about being paid to be her companion had hurt, and she'd grew a little cold towards him. She divulged nothing to him except for the most superficial of information, and he didn't seem to mind.

And yet...

When Relena sat alone in her room at night, the vision of him plagued her mind. She continually pushed him away, trying to replace him with her husband, but the idea of James was less exciting than Heero. Relena had to continually keep her mind occupied by reading or having Marge read to her while she knitted.

Mid-morning on Saturday, a week before the party, Relena and Hilde were talking together in the kitchen, discussing the menu for the party. Duo had taken Heero off to the fields to show him what kind of crops the estate produced. Relena suspected that Hilde had put Duo up to it, because Hilde mentioned Heero more than three times during the course of their conversation.

"Hilde, I tell you, there is nothing there," Relena said. "He made it clear when he first arrived that he is being paid to be here."

"That is nonsense," Hilde retorted. Relena raised her eyebrows at her friend. "He is closer to your age, and much more handsome than James. And with your personality, he'd make a better partner for you than James," Relena laughed, a sort of combination of hysteria and unbelief.

"Hilde! I cannot just run away with this stranger! I am married. And pregnant," Relena cried, and as if on cue, a sharp pain coursed up her side. She flinched, but suppressed the pain. "Besides, I hardly know him." Hilde laughed and patted Relena's hand, having missed the flinch of pain.

"Oh, I know, darling, but it does make such an interesting fantasy," Hilde said. "Every girl wants to be whisked away by a gallant knight." Relena sighed, reflecting on what Hilde had said, but knew that she would be forever stuck in her current life, with no possible way out.

"Who is this gallant knight that you're waiting for, Hilde?" a voice came from the door. The two girls turned and saw Duo stepping up into the kitchen with Heero close behind. Hilde laughed and rose, stepping to the counter. She pulled a large loaf of bread towards her and sliced off two large chunks, then sliced some cheese and heaped it on the bread. Hilde handed the two slices over to the men, who both devoured their mid morning snack.

"Oh, you know, just some handsome man who would take me away to Europe, to travel in Paris, London, Berlin..." Hilde said with mock wistfulness. Duo snorted.

"Good luck," he said, stuffing the last of his crust into his mouth. Relena watched Heero as he slipped into the kitchen and took a seat across from her at the table. He nodded in greeting, and she responded with a shy smile. "What have you girls been up to?" Duo asked.

"Planning the menu for the party," Relena answered, absently shifting around her papers in front of her with the ideas. Duo rubbed his belly.

"I love when you have parties. I love those leftovers," he said, grinning at the thought. Hilde punched him in the arm.

"Calm down," Hilde said. "Speaking of which, I'll probably need your help getting the meats from the butcher and cooking that day. So be prepared," she warned. Duo wrapped her in a hug.

"Of course." Relena blushed at their sudden displays of affection and turned away, accidentally catching Heero's eye in the process. He was staring at her, giving a look as if to say, "How ridiculous are they?" She couldn't help but smile in return, then averted her eyes.

"If you need it, I can help," Heero offered. Relena perked up.

"No!" she said, a little too loudly, pulling three pairs of eyes to her. Heero gave her a strange look. "Sorry," she said, blushing. "I mean, Heero is supposed to be a guest at the party. I believe James mentioned it a while ago..."

"I bet Darlian will bring out the good brandy, too. You are lucky, buddy," Duo said, slapping Heero on the shoulder.

"Don't feel obligated to invite me," Heero said.

"It is at my husband's request," Relena replied, feeling the ice in her tone. She didn't know where that came from. Relena ducked her head at the silence that followed her rude tone.

"Do you have a tuxedo or a suit?" Hilde asked, and Relena knew her friend was covering for her.

"Of course not," Heero replied.

"I can take you into town to get fitted for one," Relena said, focusing on keeping her tone level and friendly, even though on the inside she was feeling frustrated and wanted to lash out. But the part of her mind keeping her calm said there was no reason for the anger. Heero nodded in a reserved way. Relena rose, fighting her continued embarrassment, and tried to smile. Muscle memory from years of training pulled Relena into her full height, shoulders back and head held high.

"I will just get dressed, and we can go," Relena said. Heero nodded again, still staring at her. Relena could feel Duo and Hilde's eyes on her, and it was only making her feel worse. Finally, Relena gathered her papers and strode from the kitchen into the house.

Once the door closed behind her, Relena nearly collapsed onto herself. Her breath quickened, a heavy anxiety falling on her shoulders from having acted so strangely. She knew that this wasn't herself. If Heero had come at any other time, she would have welcomed him, and perhaps she and he could have become friends. But she felt like someone different altogether, like she was being possessed by some strange and powerful spirit. Relena took a deep breath to calm herself and continued to walk towards the steps up to her room. She hadn't noticed that she was crying now until she walked past a mirror in the hall. She swiped away the tears and resumed her trek up the steps.

In the dressing room, Relena searched around for something suitable to wear. She didn't know where Marge was. As Relena looked into her closet, a strange feeling that the amount of clothing she had was overwhelming, and she understood why she'd always had someone help her with this. Before she could stop herself, she began to cry again, pressing her hands against her tears as if trying to stop the flood from moving forward.

"Miss Relena, what on earth?" Relena peeked between her fingers and saw Marge at the door. The woman lumbered into the room and sat down beside the girl. "What is wrong?"

"I don't know," Relena sobbed. "Everything and nothing!" Marge seemed to understand.

"It's that baby you're carrying. What you are feeling is normal. Why, when my last mistress was pregnant, she cried every single day about the most innocent of things," Marge said, gently stroking Relena's hair.

"Really?" she asked, sniffling a bit and wiping her eyes on her dress.

"Of course, dear. Now stop this crying and tell me what you need," Marge said.

"We're going to town to get a suit for Heero," Relena replied, calming her racing heart. Marge smiled and nodded.

When Relena descended the steps a bit later, she was put back together and feeling relatively normal. Marge had powdered Relena's face so cover the red blotches from crying, and had dressed her in a lovely spring dress and hat. Heero had been waiting in the parlor, reading as usual, and when she came down the steps, and nodded to her. His face was empty of emotion. Relena took a deep breath.

"Heero, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I was not in the right state of mind. Please forgive me," she said, ending with a polite bow of the head. She waited, keeping her head lowered, for Heero to say something, but nothing came. Finally, she lifted her head and saw that he was smiling at her with a half smile. Relena's heart fluttered at the smile, and she quickly turned away to hide her blush. "Did you, uh, have a chance to have Pagan call the carriage?"

"Yes," he replied. Together, they stepped out to the front porch, and to the waiting carriage.

-/-\-

-Scarlet Eve


	11. Chapter 10

The Final Storm

Chapter 10

by Scarlet Eve

Heero watched Relena step away from him towards the carriage, the ribbons on her dress trailing behind her. Her apology had readily surprised him, and he thought he could almost see through whatever facade she felt the need to put forth. And when she smiled, it was like she was a different person. Though he knew her to be pregnant, he couldn't help but notice that she still had a slim, girlish figure. And she was quite pretty. But she was another man's wife. He pushed the thoughts from his mind, and reminded himself firmly that he was on a job, not looking for a cathouse. Heero stepped out behind her.

That morning while Duo and Heero had been inspecting the fields, Heero had asked him about James Darlian, and his treatment of his wife; that Heero had noticed James treated Relena quite like a child rather than a woman. Duo had nodded to confirm, and expressed his worry by saying that he kept his eyes open for the girl. It was the first inkling that Heero might have more to protect Relena from than just local predators.

Relena descended the steps with Heero close behind. The driver assisted Relena up into the carriage and Heero was in behind her, sitting in the seat opposite of her. She had positioned herself up against the side, her head leaning against the frame to gaze out the window. The attitude she'd had just a moment before seemed to have vanished, and her facial features softened into a wistful, dreamy state. Heero felt it might be best to leave her be.

When the carriage arrived in town, Relena had been asleep for nearly the whole ride. When she opened her eyes, she looked around, a smile on her face. "I just love town, don't you?" she asked. Heero was about to respond, but she turned away from him, not really expecting an answer. From outside the carriage, Heero heard the driver call,

"Where to Missus Darlian?"

"To main street. Near the tailor," she called up. The carriage made a turn and a few minutes later, rolled to a stop. Heero looked out the window at the bustling streets. Relena rose up and opened the door herself, before anyone could help her, and she hopped down.

"Wait here a moment," Relena said. She picked up her skirts and hurried across the road to a shop that was painted pink on the outside. Heero felt almost grateful that she did not ask him to join her in that store. Heero waited, his hands in his lap, watching the men and women walking on the street and sidewalks, dodging horses and carriages, calling to each other and laughing and shouting. The town seemed almost stuck in the past; though the train station was only a few miles away, automobiles had not made their way to this town. It was quaint.

Heero turned his attention to Relena when she walked out from across the street, carrying a box in her gloved hands. There was something different about her out here in public that he hadn't noticed back at the house. She walked taller, her shoulders back and her chin held high, more fitting to her upbringing than she showed at the estate. And more natural. Every other time he'd seen her, he could tell that it was a forced posture. She stopped to talk with someone, and her manner was completely refined and polite, but her smile and laughter was carefree. Heero stepped out of the carriage and watched her from the side, acting as if he were checking something on the back of the luggage rack. A loose lock of hair had fallen out from her scarf, and she brushed it aside, still speaking with the other person. Her laugh reminded Heero of small bells ringing. Relena turned away from the person she'd been speaking to, so Heero rushed back inside the carriage. When she came to the door on the other side, Heero held his hands out to take her package from her.

She looked up at him and smiled that sweeter smile and handed over the box. Heero lifted it up into the carriage and pushed it back against the seat. "Thank you," she said. Heero nodded, his mind still trying to figure her out. Never had it taken this long for him to pin down someone's personality. He'd thought she was just the spoiled wife of a spoiled man, but after continued observation and his talk with Duo, he was revising his idea of her. And still, she continued to elude him with every different smile she had.

"Shall we?" Relena asked, drawing Heero from his thoughts. Relena motioned towards another shop, this one made of brick. The lettering on the window read "Peters, Tailor." Heero nodded and together, they entered the shop.

The tailor was busy hemming a pair of pants, but he put his work down when he saw Relena. "Missus Darlian! How lovely to see you again!" he called, stepping around piles of fabric to lightly embrace Relena.

"It's nice to see you, too," Relena said with a smile. "Mister Peters, my friend here needs a nice suit for a party we are having this Saturday," Relena said, gesturing to Heero. The tailor put a hand to his chin and looked at Heero.

"Fairly standard build. Shouldn't be too difficult," he said, circling Heero like a vulture. Heero was immensely uncomfortable. Mister Peters pulled a measuring tape off his shoulders. "Come with me, Mister uh..."

"Yuy," Relena filled in.

"Mister Yuy. Yes, let me get your measurements," Mister Peters said. He began to walk towards the back of the store. Heero threw a desperate look at Relena, who simply laughed and shooed him along.

It was the most uncomfortable ten minutes Heero had ever experienced, as the tailor measured seemingly every single inch of his body. Finally, the tailor stopped and threw the measuring tape back around his shoulders. "Thank you, Mister Yuy," he said, and stepped around him towards Relena.

"Missus Darlian, I'll whip this suit up for him and bring it out on Friday for any alterations. I don't see a problem with anything. Standard black?" Relena nodded.

"And white collared shirts, several of them, and shoes and socks," she added, ticking the items off on her gloved fingers.

"Of course. I will see you Friday," he said. Relena thanked him and ushered Heero back out the door.

"He is the best. We'll have you looking respectable in no time," she joked, and Heero scowled.

The trip back was similar to the trip into town. Relena fell asleep with her head against the frame of the carriage. Heero wondered if her pregnancy was taking its toll on her. He mostly tried to stay out of womanly problems.

When they arrived back at the estate, after Heero helped her out of the carriage, he lifted down her box. Relena brushed a hand over her eyes and said,

"I am very tired. I believe I'll lie down," she said. Heero nodded, not sure what he was supposed to do, but she just turned away and went into the house. Heero went on his own into the parlor to read for a while, not really sure what to do with himself when she was otherwise occupied.

A little later, Relena hadn't made an appearance yet. Heero, bored of reading, wandered around to the back of the house and found Duo standing in a doorway of the kitchen house. As he approached, he could hear a Hilde speaking.

"She said she's not feeling well. I'm a little worried about her," she was saying.

"I'm sure she's fine, Hilde. How far along is she?"

"Almost six and barely showing. I can only hope I look like that when I'm pregnant," Hilde said. Duo laughed. He turned slightly and saw Heero approaching.

"Hey there Heero! Did Relena get you all fixed up for the party?" Duo asked. Heero nodded with a slight smile. He stepped up into the kitchen house and joined Hilde and Duo at the table. Hilde offered Heero coffee, which he accepted.

"Were you talking about Relena?" Heero asked after a deep drink of the strong liquid.

"Yeah," Duo said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "She's not been feeling too well."

"She slept the whole way to and from town," Heero offered. "And she went straight up to bed when we arrived back here." Hilde scoffed and slapped the table with her hand.

"See, she's not sleeping. I hate when she doesn't tell me what's wrong. It is probably that woman Marge," Hilde said, her color rising. Duo laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think Marge is doing anything to her," Duo said. "You're being overly suspicious."

"I don't trust Marge or Darlian," Hilde said angrily. She turned her gaze to Heero. "Please watch out for her. I'm worried," she said. Heero nodded sincerely. Duo sighed and Hilde walked away, banging something around in the kitchen to relieve her anger.

-/-\-

A/N: Thanks for reading!

-Scarlet Eve


	12. Chapter 11

The Final Storm

Chapter 11

by Scarlet Eve

By the clock in her room, Relea knew it was three in the morning. She'd slept all afternoon and evening and into the small hours of the night. The household was silent around her, except for the creaks and groans that came with age. And she was pacing. She had originally woken up to pain in her abdomen, and that worried her. She hoped that there was nothing wrong with the baby. But walking seemed to ease the pain, so she moved from one end of the room to the other, mentally wearing a path through the varnish on the wood floors. She'd already opened the doors to her balcony to let in the night air. It brought out goosebumps all over her skin, but she didn't mind.

"I hope you are growing alright, little one," Relena said, rubbing her hand over her slightly protruding abdomen. Marge had insisted that Relena was going to be very big when she got to this point in her pregnancy, but so far, she was proving Marge wrong. Relena still fit in most of her dresses, having always favored gowns in the empire style. The skirts just hung a little higher up in the front than in the back, to compensate for the extra mass.

Relena changed directions and walked a different path around her room. She worried most days that if she had a girl, that James would be disappointed. James wanted a son so badly to carry on the Darlian name. And if she had a girl, then James would want another child.

Relena shuddered to think of the times they'd coupled. The heaving, the heavy breath, and the flabby white skin. His sour breath that reeked of bourbon. Relena had been naive when she was younger to think that her husband would be a romantic. He'd certainly acted like that when they were courting. But that all changed after their marriage. But it made daddy happy, and it made James' daddy happy, so Relena kept her mouth shut.

Relena wandered to the balcony and looked out over the fields. She closed her eyes, feeling the night breeze against her skin. The vision of Heero came back up in her mind. She tried to resist the image, but it would not relent.

"James will never know if I fantasize," Relena said to herself. She relaxed against her elbows, holding herself up against the rail. Instead of James on top of her, she imagined Heero in his place, his chiseled chest above her, and his deep blue eyes penetrating her soul, filled with lust. She smiled at the thought, feeling lusty herself, and so immoral, to imagine herself in bed with another man. Yet, it made her feel alive. Her desire crackled over her skin, touching her senses and sharpening them. She felt more full of energy and happiness, more so than she had felt since her marriage to James. And that was just from an image in her head. If it were the real thing... Relena stopped herself from finishing that thought. It could never be. Frustrated, turned away from the balcony rail and walked back into her room began to pace. Relena almost wished James were home, so she could relieve the tension building in her body.

Friday morning arrived quickly, after Relena spent most of the week preparing the home for the party on Saturday. Having not slept much after three in the morning once again, Relena was up early, choosing the best china, the best napkins, and the best decor. She found the menu that she and Hilde had prepared together, highlighting the best of the gardens so far that summer. Relena read over it again and again, making sure that every item would be perfect.. Relena was dying for a social affair. Heero had spent most of the week with her, sure, but he barely spoke, only giving her curious looks, and left Relena to ramble on to herself.

Around eight in the morning, Relena was in the parlor, picking up different items and setting them aside for storage during the party. She heard the creak of the steps, and the already familiar thump of his boots. After her lusty fantasy of Heero earlier in the week, she couldn't look at him in the eye for a full day. She'd pushed her embarrassment aside after that, knowing it was quite silly to believe that Heero would even know what she had imagined. Besides, as she'd told herself over and over again, she was married to James and carrying his child.

"Relena," Heero's voice said from the doorway. Relena turned around.

"Good morning, Heero!" she replied cheerfully.

"Are you sure you should be working this much?" Heero asked.

"Heero, you sound like Hilde," Relena said, though in truth, she was already feeling exhausted and her back was aching. "I'm fine." She'd noticed his increased concern about her well being, and could only assume that he'd been talking to Duo and Hilde. She knew those two talked about her behind her back, worrying themselves over nothing. They must have sucked Heero in as well.

Heero sat down on the couch and picked up a book he'd left there the previous evening, when Relena had felt like sitting by the fire. Relena continued to pick items and collect them together, and would ask Pagan later to move them. After a while, Pagan entered the room on his own, and announced that Mister Peters had arrived.

"Oh wonderful!" Relena said, clapping her hands together. Heero looked skeptical. "Bring him here!" Pagan nodded and disappeared, then returned followed by Mister Peters carrying one long box and several smaller boxes. Mister Peters set them down on an end table.

"Thank you for coming!" Relena said, hurrying to look at the boxes. Heero had risen, but hung back away from the fuss.

"Of course, Missus Darlian," Mister Peters said. He opened all the boxes and set the lids aside. Shoes, socks, shirts, and finally, the suit, made their appearance. Mister Peters motioned for Heero to come nearer.

"I'll need you to put the whole thing on so I can make sure everything fits right," Mister Peters said. Heero hesitated and glanced at Relena. Relena giggled.

"Oh of course. So sorry!" she said, and hurried from the room, closing the door behind her. She paced in the hallway, her hands laced behind her back. Through the front window, Relena saw another carriage roll up in front of the house, an unfamiliar one. She waited, watching, until she saw James step out and onto the drive. Relena took a deep breath, then pulled open the front door.

"James!" she called, and her husband looked up and smiled at her.

"Darling," he replied, jogging up the steps and sweeping his wife in his arms. "How have you been?"

"Oh, just fine. How is the business?" she asked. "You have never been gone this long."

"I know, dear Relena. I'm sorry. We were having a few problems, but nothing we can't handle," James replied, though his expression darkened slightly. "Where is Mister Yuy?"

"He's in the parlor with Mister Peters," Relena said, linking her arm through her husband's and guiding him into the house.

"Why?"

"Well Heero didn't have a suit, so I took him out to town earlier this week to get him measured for one. Mister Peters is just checking it out right now," Relena explained.

"Ah yes, good," James replied. "How are things with Heero here?" Relena noticed a strange edge to his voice, but couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"Just fine. He's getting along with Duo and Hilde. He doesn't talk much, but he has made some changes to the door and has plans for the windows to make sure no one can break in anymore," Relena said. James nodded absently. "What is it?" she asked. James glanced down at her.

"Nothing darling. It hadn't crossed my mind before that I was leaving my wife home alone with someone I don't know much about," James said.

"I'm not alone! I have Pagan and Marge and Duo and Hilde..." Relena said. "I trust him." Relena realized that it was the first time she'd thought about her trust in him, and that she truly believed it.

"That's good, darling," James said. The door to the parlour opened and Mister Peters stepped out.

"Oh! Mister Darlian! So good to see you! Did you just get back?" James nodded to the question. "Wonderful! Misses Darlian, come and see," he motioned for her to follow, so Relena and James went in behind him. Heero stood in the middle of the parlor, tugging on the sleeves of the jacket and fidgeting. Relena smiled broadly.

"See! You look like a decent gentleman!" Relena said, hurrying closer to look at the work Mister Peters had done. "This is just lovely," She added to Mister Peters. James looked him over as well, saying nothing. Relena circled, inspecting everything. "Yes, this is perfect." She looked to her husband. "He can charge the estate, right darling?" James shook himself from wherever his thoughts had led him.

"Of course, darling," he replied.

"Mister Yuy, if you could take it off now, I'll pack it to keep it from harm until tomorrow," Mister Peters said. Heero nodded and quickly began to unbutton the coat. Relena and James exited the room once again, shutting the door.

"Everything is prepared for tomorrow?" James asked, and Relena nodded.

"I have gone over everything so many times. It should all be perfect," Relena said brightly. James nodded and grabbed Relena, crushing her against his chest. He leaned down and kissed her roughly. "I missed you," he said in her ear. Relena's chest tightened at his words.

"I missed you, too," she choked out. James pressed a kiss to her lips again. The door to the parlor opened again and James let go of Relena. She stumbled back a step, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Heero's gaze snap to attention on her. She flashed him a small smile. Mister Peters followed out behind Heero, and bowed to the Darlians.

"I'll have the bill sent over then," he said.

"Yes, thank you so much," Relena said. Mister Peters nodded, said his farewells and left. Relena faked a yawn and willed her face to pale, though she knew it would not work.

"I think I should lie down," she announced. "I'm a bit tired. Darling, could you ask Pagan to move that pile of items into storage, just for the party?" Relena asked her husband.

"Sure. Are you feeling alright, Relena?" James asked, his hand immediately resting on her stomach.

"Of course. I'm just tired. Our little one keeps me up sometimes," she said. James smiled a bit, and let her go. Relena stepped away, nodded to Heero, then disappeared up the steps.

Scarlet Eve


	13. Chapter 12

The Final Storm

Chapter 12

by Scarlet Eve

Heero watched Relena go with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. James turned to Heero, a strange look on his face. "If you ever get married, Mister Yuy, get a young one," he said, then walked away. Heero stared after James, teeth grinding against each other, greatly desiring to knock his head against a wall, but he held back. He went back into the parlour, gathered up his new clothing and carried it up to his room.

As he passed by Relena's room, he saw that the door was closed and an untouched tray of tea sat on the table beside the door.

Later that evening, Hilde and Duo had invited Heero to eat with them in the kitchen house, since James was not interested in dinner, and Relena was still in her room. Heero had told the couple what Mister Darlian had said about getting a young bride, and Hilde was already furious.

"What a disgusting man," she mumbled, stabbing at her dinner with a fork.

"Why do you still work for him?" Heero asked. Hilde and Duo glanced at each other, and sighed.

"Both of us were born and raised here. Our families are buried in the graveyard near the back of the property..." Duo explained. Heero nodded with a frown. "The previous owner was kind, but was aging too rapidly to keep up with the place. Darlian came in, and he seemed okay at first. And of course, he brought Relena with him, and she was the only reason we really tolerated him. Sure, on the surface he seems okay, but underneath... well..."

"He drinks too much and can't handle it," Hilde interjected. Heero's lips pressed together. He could have guessed that about James, from the way that James passed out drunk during Heero's first evening at the estate.

"Does he abuse her?" Heero asked rather bluntly, surprising the couple. Hilde flinched.

"Not that we know of..." Duo answered, speaking slowly. His words hung in the air as Heero contemplated this. Duo seemed unsure of his answer, which meant that Relena could be in more danger than he originally thought. And not just from outsiders. Hilde stood up abruptly from the table.

"Who wants dessert?!"

-/-\-

Heero woke up early the next morning, a headache pounding in his temples from a late night of drinking with Duo, Hilde and some of the other farm hands. Relena still hadn't left her bedroom, so Heero assumed he could just take the evening off. He had a surprisingly good time with the farm hands, who were more boisterous and informal than everyone up in the main house.

He dragged himself from bed and pulled on his pants, then stumbled into the washroom. He used the cold water from the tap to splash his face, attempting to sober himself up. There was a soft knock at the door, so Heero stepped back into the bedroom to answer it, the cold water still dripping from his face. Pagan was there, holding the usual tray with breakfast.

"Here you are, Mr. Yuy," Pagan said, this time stepping into the room and setting the tray down for him. Pagan looked up at Heero and folded his hands behind his back. "I just wanted to speak to you a moment, before the party this evening." Heero nodded, picking up a piece of toast and cramming it into his mouth. "There are a few things you should know. Firstly, the Kushranadas are very important, and rich, people in this area. But much of Mister Darlian's success rides on their favor of him, so please do not make them angry. Among the others who will be present, I believe you will find them enjoyable company. And last, is..." he trailed off, breaking eye contact with Heero.

"What is it, Pagan?" Heero asked after swallowing the piece of toast.

"Just keep an eye on Mister Darlian and Miss Relena," Pagan said quickly. He began to turn to leave the room, in some sort of hurry, but Heero leapt forward and placed a hand down on Pagan's shoulder.

"What were you really going to say?" Heero asked. Pagan's mustache twitched, and the older man took a deep breath, then stepped back into Heero's room and shut the door behind him. Heero's stomach tightened in anticipation of what Pagan had to say, and the small part of him that seemed to genuinely be concerned about Relena was paying close attention.

"Last night, before you came up from the cottages," Pagan began, wringing his hands together in front of him, "Mister Darlian tried to force his way into Relena's room, loudly claiming his husband privileges and all that." Heero's eyes narrowed and his felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Miss Relena kept her door barred until Mister Darlian left her alone. I am worried that tonight, since he will be consuming more alcohol than normal, that something worse might happen."

"Understood," Heero said with a nod. Pagan forced a smile, bowed at the waist and retreated from the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Heero's fingers clenched into fists. The vision of Relena came up in his mind, the one that plagued him at night when he tried to fall asleep. She is dressed in her light dress that she wore to town, the ribbons hanging all around her, her hair loose and her feet bare. She is running through the grass, smiling, towards him. And just as she is about to reach his outstretched arms, she is yanked back, and disappears into darkness. Heero shook his head and slapped a hand to his forehead. How did she penetrate his thoughts without even trying, he wondered constantly. She was only a spoiled, rich wife of a rich man. Heero shook his head at himself and went back to the washroom to wash the smell of alcohol off his skin.

Heero tried to find Relena during the day, but everyone was too busy to stop and talk to, so he assumed she just hadn't come out of her room yet. That lumbering woman Marge was missing as well, so Heero assumed she must be with Relena getting ready. Heer could not even begin to fathom why it took so long for women to get ready for anything.

Pagan informed Heero later in the day that he should probably dress and get ready for the party. Heero complied and retreated to his room to open the box containing his new suit. He dressed carefully, trying to remember how the tailor had attached each item. Finally, as he stood in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom, he thought he looked presentable. Except for his hair, which he was never able to tame.

He descended the steps and found James standing near the front door, speaking with Pagan. The two men looked up at Heero as he walked down, straightening his tie. James actually smiled.

"Heero, my boy! You clean up well!" James called, waving up to him. Heero nodded as a thank you, and reached the landing. James reached out and shook Heero's hand. "My wife has good taste!" James added, checking the suit out now that he was closer.

"Yes, she does," Heero said. He already wished he could be in his regular clothes. He felt stiff in this suit, and the shoes were hard and uncomfortable. He longed for his boots, which had already conformed to his feet over the years and were broken in and comfortable. But he stood up straight and imitated James' posture anyway.

A moment later, a carriage rolled up in front of the house. James motioned for Heero to follow him to the porch. The carriage itself was something Heero had never seen before. The structure was normal, but it was painted in bright colors, with tassels and ribbons and gold trim. It was tawdry in Heero's opinion. The footman on the back of the carriage was dressed in a ridiculous outfit as well. He hopped down from the back of the carriage and opened the door. A tall man with light brown hair, wearing an emerald green suit and matching shoes stepped out of the carriage. He smiled up at James, then turned and lifted a hand. A purple gloved hand appeared from the depths of the carriage, and out stepped a woman, who seemed to be just as tall as the man, with short curly red-brown hair, wearing an elaborate purple velvet dress lined with silver. She wore a small hat embellished with features that was perched on top of her head and held in with pins.

"Catherine and Trowa, my friends," James said, stepping down to shake their hands. Heero thought his eyes might burn out of his skull at how brightly dressed the two were. Catherine curtsied in wave of her arms and an elaborate flourish.

"We were so happy to hear from our darling Miss Relena," the woman, Catherine said. James smiled.

"I would like to introduce you to Heero Yuy. He's here on assignment to make sure our home is protected from unsavory people in the area," James said, gesturing to Heero. "Heero, this is Catherine Bloom and Trowa Barton, they are brother and sister, and are actors up in town at the Grand Theatre." Heero nodded politely.

"Pleasure." The actors smiled at him, and the group entered into the house. Movement at the top of the steps caught Heero's eye, and he turned, along with everyone else.

Relena had appeared there, her hands held in front of her, wearing long white gloves that reached past her elbows. Her blonde hair was curled and pinned on top of her head and cascaded down to her shoulders. She wore a simple, light pink dress, which emphasized her pregnancy by laying over her protruding abdomen. There was a wide pink ribbon tied around her waist as well, just under her breasts.

The men standing at the bottom of the steps sucked in their breaths. Heero blinked, his throat tight. She looked utterly beautiful. And yet, as Heero admired her glow, the careful way her hands circled her abdomen, where the child of James Darlian grew, he felt a distinct sadness. This woman, though as confusing as she was to him, was steadily pulling Heero's attention, and daresay, his affection.

But the image in his mind of him pulling her to his arms shattered immediately. James stepped up to her, his arms open. "My darling Relena, you look beautiful!" he said. He planted a kiss on her cheek, then turned to present her to the actors. Catherine and Trowa were both smiling widely.

"Oh Relena, dear, you are simply glowing!" Catherine said, taking Relena's hands in her own and kissing her cheek, while Relena returned the gesture. Trowa took Relena's hand after Catherine let go, brought it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. Heero felt a pang of jealousy.

"Let us wait in the parlour for the rest of our guests to arrive," James said, stepping forward, and at the same time, releasing his hold on Relena. Catherine and Trowa followed, while Heero hung back. He wanted to speak to Relena.

"You look handsome, Heero," Relena commented, flashing him a smile. Her voice was too formal, Heero noticed.

"Relena, can I speak to you a moment?" he asked. Relena tilted her head.

"But we must join the others," she replied. Heero reached out and gripped her arm.

"It is important," he growled. Relena gave him a significant look.

"Mister Yuy, it is improper," Relena said, her eyes widening, as if attempting to convey some other meaning. Heero stared at her, but released his hold on her arm, his hand dropping to hang at his side. "We will talk later." She stepped forward, motioning for him to follow. Heero growled low in his throat, but followed behind.

-/-\-

-Scarlet Eve


	14. Chapter 13

The Final Storm

Chapter 13

by Scarlet Eve

Relena was worried. Heero's attitude suggested that something was wrong. In the pit of her stomach, she wondered if perhaps he had heard James' tantrum the night before outside of her door. Heero's was, afterall, right across the hall. But she squashed it down. It was not the right time for her to be worrying; she was to play hostess, and look beautiful, and talk and dance with the guests.

It didn't take long for her to forget, anyway. Catherine and Trowa were always full of entertaining stories, and soon she was gripped in a tale of Trowa narrowly being squashed by a falling backdrop in the theatre. After Trowa's tale concluded, the Kushranadas arrived, resplendent as ever. Treize, as usual, was well dressed in his military attire, with his scowling wife on his arm. Lady Une, from the upper crust of Virginia, dressed in the most fashionable attire, which Relena thought to be ugly, barely said hello to Relena, but allowed herself to be pulled into conversation with James. Treize asked after Relena's welfare right away, commenting on her looks and how well she seemed to be taking to her pregnancy.

In the background of the party, Relena knew Heero to be hiding, avoiding eye contact and conversation with everyone. Except for Trowa, who was usually silent as well, seemed to take some comfort in Heero's silent attitude, and the two men stood side by side, drinking coffee, while Catherine greeted Une.

Finally, Pagan announced the arrival of the man and woman of the night. Relena rushed to the front door, throwing a quick pardon over her shoulder to Treize, and skidded to a halt on the front porch. Doctor Winner, Quatre, had arrived in a motor car, much to Relena's excitement. Beside him sat his new wife, a young woman with very long blonde hair and delicately arched eyebrows. Relena mentally commented that she looked every inch a French woman, though she wasn't actually sure if that was true. Quatre jumped down from the motor car and approached the porch, throwing his arms open to Relena.

"Miss Relena! So good to see you again!" he called, and Relena hugged the young man.

"Good to see you, too, Quatre," she replied. He released her and turned away, to help his new wife down from the car. She stepped lightly to the ground, her skirts swirling and settling around her ankles. Her posture was tall and rigid, but Relena thought it made her look like a model. Behind her, James and Heero, and the rest of the guests crowded out onto the porch to meet the new member of the small town society that they all lived in. She heard James whispering to Heero,

"I really didn't think that Mister Winner fancied women." Relena spun around, her hands on her hips, and threw her husband a dark look. James looked back indignantly. Relena saw Heero release a long breath, wondered why, then spun back around with her smile plastered back onto her face.

"Everyone, this is my wife, Dorothy, formerly Catalonia, but now bearing the name of Winner," Quatre said, pulling the woman closer to the porch. Dorothy grasped her skirts and lowered herself into a graceful curtsey.

"I'm so happy to make all of your acquaintances. I'm sure we'll all be wonderful friends," Dorothy said. Relena stepped up to Dorothy, and lowered herself to match Dorothy's greeting.

"Miss Dorothy, I am Relena Darlian," she said. Dorothy took Relena's hand and smiled.

"Yes, I assumed so. Quatre has told me all about you. He thinks the world of you," Dorothy said. Relena blushed, but there was something about Dorothy's tone of voice and the look in her eyes that unsettled her. Relena wondered if Dorothy was just a real life actress. She sounded false. To Relena's relief, Pagan called for everyone to enter the dining room, as dinner was ready to be served.

Relena joined the queue as they filtered into the dining room, taking seats at their places, labeled by a small card with their names. Relena was, as usual, to James' left, while Treize was placed at his right. She was surprised, however, to see that Heero was placed beside her. Relena couldn't recall placing him there...

Hilde entered into the dining room from the kitchen, dressed in a uniform and looking pretty. Over the heads of the guests, Relena met her friend's eyes. Hilde glanced to Heero, back to Relena, and winked. Relena threw Hilde a look, but Hilde ignored her and began serving the first course, beginning with James. When she leaned down over Relena's shoulder, Hilde whispered, "I bet you'll thank me later." Relena stared after her friend, feeling slightly appalled, but when she glanced at Heero out of the corner of her eye, and saw him focusing intently on the number of forks beside the plate, her anger at her friend dissipated. Relena reached over and touched Heero on the arm.

"Just do as I do," she whispered. He gave her a small smile and nodded.

Conversation during dinner flowed, and Relena noticed that Heero fit in with the actor siblings, as he traded stories with them from his travels and various jobs. Relena found herself hiding her smiles and laughter behind her napkin very often, and for once it wasn't because she was laughing at someone else's dress or mannerisms. After a while, Heero's lack of knowledge about formal dinners didn't seem to be all that bad. Relena even watched as Treize leaned over to James and said, "He's quite the young man." James nodded in response, but when Treize looked away, Relena saw a shadow of his familiar scowl touch his forehead and eyes, before smoothing out to respond to something Lady Une asked him.

Relena bit her lip and folded her hands in her lap. She began to nervously twist her wedding ring around her finger. This was bad. James was beginning to feel discontent about Heero. Relena could read it in his eyes the same way she knew that their move to the country was coming, when James could not get along with Relena's brother, Milliardo Peacecraft. She felt a light touch on her arm.

"Are you alright?" Heero asked her under his breath, making a point to not look directly at her.

"Yes," she whispered back. Heero withdrew his hand from her arm, but the place where he'd touched her felt like it was burned into her skin. Relena relaxed her hands with great effort, and attempting to lift her head up and pretend that nothing was bothering her. But when her gaze swept the table, she found that Dorothy was staring at her from down the table, a small grin curled onto her lips. Relena smiled hesitantly. Dorothy's eyes bore into Relena's - until her gaze snapped away to say something to Catherine. Relena released a breath, but her uncertainty of Dorothy was higher than ever.

To Relena's immense relief, dinner finally ended. James invited the men to his office for a quick brandy before resuming the festivities. Relena glanced at Heero, who looked unsure. "Go with them," she said. Heero was still frowning. "You'll just have a drink and a cigar, then you all will join us in the parlor."

"As you say," he replied. Relena smiled and touched a hand to his arm, then stepped back to allow him to leave the dining room. Catherine stood beside her and took Relena's arm.

"My dear, why don't you show us the lovely view from the back porch," Catherine suggested. Relena nodded, and led the women out to the back porch of the home. Sure enough, the sun was in the process of setting, sending colors over the clouds in the sky. For once, it did not look like it would rain. A few of the farm hands were milling around, cleaning up weed piles or putting away equipment.

"This is lovely," Dorothy said, pressing a hand to her hip as she looked across the fields. "Sort of reminds me of the landscapes in France."

"You speak quite good English for a French girl," Une commented, rather rudely Relena thought. Dorothy laughed.

"Oh I traveled a lot in my youth. I spent some time in England as well," Dorothy explained with a wave of her hand. She began to speak about her travels when Catherine guided Relena a few steps away from the others.

"So tell me about this Heero," Catherine said quietly.

"What's there to tell?" Relena asked. Catherine laughed and placed her hand on Relena's shoulder.

"I saw the way he was looking at you," Catherine said. "He is quite handsome."

"Oh Catherine! You're as bad as Hilde. I'm married." Even as the words left Relena's mouth, she felt as though she were lying. Beside her, Catherine smirked.

"He does tell some fascinating stories," the older woman remarked. A pang of guilt hit Relena.

"I uh, I never asked him about what he did before he came here," she said.

"Those are quite the bad manners, my dear," Catherine said. The older woman lifted a finger to her chin and tapped it.

"He was so quiet when he first arrived. Tonight is the first time I heard him speak so much!" Relena protested. "And I guess..." she trailed off, thinking about the last few weeks with Heero around. "He said he was being paid to be here. I guess I didn't think he cared to talk." Catherine looked at Relena sadly.

"You know better than that, dear," Catherine said. Relena felt scolded, once more, but tried to let it pass. Catherine tapped her chin with her finger. "I have been lonely after my dearest husband died in that tragic accident…" she said, and Relena tilted her head to look up Catherine. "Perhaps I should call on him sometimes, if you ever give him some time away from here…"

"No!" Relena clapped her hands to her mouth, eyes wide in surprise. Curse her loose tongue. Catherine snorted.

"I knew it. Somewhere in that heart of yours is some kind of affection, or attraction for Mister Heero Yuy. I am only teasing, dear. My own brother is too much of a troublemaker for me to want another man in my life." Catherine said with a laugh. Relena felt embarrassed and looked away. That was when she noticed that Dorothy was once again staring at her, though she seemed to be having a conversation with Lady Une. Relena averted her eyes, feeling pressure from all sides. But what could everyone be thinking that Relena was missing?

-/-\-

A/N: I just finished writing the story! We'll be finishing off with 23 chapters and an epilogue. :-P I'll probably just start posting chapter quickly to get to the exciting part.

-Scarlet Eve


	15. Chapter 14

The Final Storm

Chapter 14

by Scarlet Eve

Heero was finding it very difficult to like this Treize Kushranada person. While he seemed to have similar ideals to Heero, his thought process and approach to the ideals were so backwards to Heero, that it made the younger man want to punch Treize in the face and explain why he was wrong. Heero supposed, however, that growing up rich made people think differently about the world around them. Treize was just floating up in his cloud of money. Although, Heero didn't think that Relena acted that way, not when she was being herself...

Instead of arguing, Heero sat quietly beside Trowa, drinking his brandy, and listening to Treize spout on about homeless people, poor people and money, all while standing up, one hand on his hip, the other holding his brandy glass, and his shoulders held up like he was the King of England.

Trowa leaned over after a while and whispered to Heero, "He may be a blow-hard, but he is a very valuable ally." Heero nodded, but inside, he was wondering how Trowa knew what Heero was thinking about. Perhaps Trowa just really felt the same way about Treize as Heero did.

"Well gentlemen," James said, snubbing out the small bit of his cigar, "I believe we have left the ladies long enough."

"I agree," Treize said. He threw back the rest of the brandy in his glass and smacked his lips, savoring the taste. The rest of the men in the room finished their drinks as well, and stood to follow James from his office towards the parlor.

"Pagan!" James called, and the old man appeared. "Do fetch the ladies." Pagan nodded and tottered away towards the back of the house. Heero and Trowa followed Quatre, who chatted lightly with James. Heero adjusted his hearing to listen for the girls, having not known where they disappeared to after dinner. He also diverted much of his concentration to keep himself from clenching his fists and his jaw, both of which he was tempted to do each time James polished off another glass of his brandy. As the group reached the parlor, Heero caught the sounds of female laughter from the back of the house. He glanced quickly over his shoulder, but of course, the ladies were not in sight yet.

In the parlour, the room had been rearranged to provide more space, and a quartet had set up in the room, evidently sometime during dinner. The four men were tuning their instruments as the men walked in the room, but quickly began to play a song that Heero did not recognize. James offered the men another drink, which Heero took, though he knew full well he would not drink it. He was far too worried about Relena to allow himself to become intoxicated.

Finally, the ladies arrived, their cheeks flushed from the slight chill of the evening air. Heero watched as the women dispersed themselves, Dorothy latching onto the arm of her husband, Une sidling up to Treize and glaring at the others in the room, and Catherine positioning herself beside her brother. Heero watched as Relena was the last through the door, and hesitated before moving forward. He watched her eyes scan the room, landing first on James and Treize, on the other guests, and finally, stopping to meet the gaze of Heero. He silently willed her to come to his side. He still wanted to talk to her about her husband. Please, Relena…. he pleaded in his mind.

She stepped over the threshold of the room and made a turn towards her husband. She stood beside him, her hands resting gently on her abdomen, a pleasant smile on her face. But Heero could tell that she wasn't paying attention to a word the men were saying. A soft voice spoke beside Heero.

"May I ask you a question?" It was Catherine. She'd moved to stand beside Heero. Somehow, she'd managed to get her hands on a glass of wine.

"Hn."

"I'll assume that means 'yes.' Tell me, Mister Yuy, what is your opinion of the young Miss Darlian?" Heero's gaze flicked to the side. He saw Catherine staring him down from beside him, her earrings glittering in the lights. Her eyes flashed, as if they knew something he didn't.

"I don't know what you mean," Heero responded in a dry voice. Catherine laughed.

"Don't lie to me, Mister Yuy. I've been around for a while. Do you merely consider her your charge?" she prodded.

"Should I be considering her as anything else?" Heero asked.

"I suppose not, in a perfect world. But we are only humans, dear Heero, and sometimes things happen beyond our control." Heero scowled to himself. This woman was being far too dramatic, a consequence of her trade, he supposed. "Do you think you would ever consider Miss Relena to be a friend?"

"Our interactions thus far have not indicated that Misuses Darlian desires anything of that nature," Heero replied. Catherine placed her hand on Heero's shoulder.

"You need not act so cold. I spoke to Miss Relena while you were with James, and she seems to think you have no interest in befriending her, as you are simply being paid," Catherine said, a small grin on her face. Heero opened his mouth to protest, but Catherine stopped him with a motion of her hand. "I understand. You get hired by a rich man to protect his rich wife. Rich wife is maybe a bit of a snob." Heero lowered his gaze, silently acknowledging the truth. "I don't know if you have developed any sort of attachment to this young woman, but she needs friends, Mister Yuy."

"She's in danger," Heero said quietly. Catherine met his gaze without emotion, and she nodded.

"Yes. Maybe not today, but the time will come," she added.

"I will protect her," Heero declared under his breath, but Catherine heard him anyway. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"You are a good man." Catherine turned and walked away from him, leaving him standing alone on the edge of the room. She greeted Dorothy and Quatre as if their conversation had never happened. Heero didn't think he could muster the energy to pretend. And that was when Relena decided to approach.

Heero felt his heart begin to hammer against his ribcage, and it was an unpleasant feeling. It made him feel like he would say or do something stupid. The way she was smiling was so bright and glittery that Heero felt he could never match her enthusiasm. This, he finally realized, was her element. This is where she felt the most like herself, as a hostess, among friends, entertaining and conversing. The shadow of the spoiled girl that trailed her the rest of the time seemed to be hidden by the light of her smile.

"Good evening Heero," she said, dipping into a curtsey slightly. Heero nodded back, trying to put a neutral smile on his face.

"Evening."

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked. Heero couldn't help but smirk.

"Most fun I've had in years," he replied. Relena pouted her lips at him, but her smile returned quickly. She slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Oh don't be like that," she said. "James never lets me have parties. He says they are too much work. The only reason he's letting me have this one is-"

"The doctor's wife?" Heero interjected.

"That is the false front. No man with wealth and power puts things forward at face value, Heero. Mr. Treize is thinking of running for the senate. James wants to be his right hand man," Relena explained. "James is only trying to impress Treize, which is why he has so rudely ignored the others all night."

"Hmm…" Heero replied, having not really noticed that James had been ignoring the other guests. He wondered if Relena would remain at the estate if James was off in Washington D.C., trailing behind Treize like a puppy. The thought made him chuckle.

"Something funny?" Relena asked.

"Nothing." Heero turned suddenly to Relena. "Will you dance with me later on this evening?" he said quickly, very nearly running all his words together. Relena arched an eyebrow and seemed to be considering. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course." Heero mentally slapped himself for letting those words slip out so easily. He wanted a chance to talk to her discreetly, of course, but would dancing with her be discreet? As Heero wallowed in his thoughts, the doctor's wife, Dorothy, approached their small group. Heero noticed for the first time that the woman's eyebrows had a curious forked shape, making her look menacing. She smiled at Relena, her eyes flashing. The hair on Heero's neck stood up on end.

"Miss Darlian," Dorothy said, spreading her skirt and dipping into a curtsey. "I wanted to thank you for this lovely party." Relena smiled and held her hands out to the other woman.

"Of course! And please, just call me Relena."

"Oh no, I couldn't," Dorothy said, taking Relena's hands in return, a friendly gesture, Heero assumed. "You are much too highly respected in this town for me to only call you by your first name." Heero watched as color rose up Relena's neck and into her cheeks. She quickly ducked her head to hide the blush.

"You flatter me," Relena said. Dorothy said nothing, but continued to eye Relena in a strange way. Finally, after the quartet struck up a lively song, Dorothy turned away, calling to her husband to dance with her. Beside him, Relena exhaled a long breath and seemed to shrink back into the shadows.

"Are you alright?" Heero felt concerned, but in the back of his mind, something was telling him he was acting too interested, too concerned.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." Heero was of the opinion that she looked more than a little tired, but wasn't about to argue with her.

Heero watched the evening pass as if standing on the outside of a glass box, watching those inside. He watched dancing, conversation, drinking and more drinking, James in particular. He watched the other man's face grow red, his eyes glass over and his coordination suffer. Several times he attempted to dance with Relena, but ended up nearly knocking her over. Relena eventually got James to sit in one of the armchairs while she spent the rest of the evening dancing and laughing with the other guests. James seemed to grow more and more gloomy as the night progressed, and he simply sat in the chair and watched.

Just before midnight, the quartet announced that they would be performing their last song. Relena approached Heero and asked if he was ready for their dance. Slowly, Heero took her hand in his own, feeling the soft, warm skin against his own, and led her to the cleared area in the room. Catherine and Quatre were dancing as well. Heero took Relena in his arms and began to lead the way, much to her apparent surprise.

"I didn't know you knew how to dance," Relena said. Heero only grinned, but his face quickly grew serious.

"I am concerned about your safety, Relena," Heero said, lowering his voice almost to a whisper. Relena tilted her head.

"But of course. That is why my husband hired you," she said innocently. Heero shook his head.

"He's the one I am worried about," he said. Relena's expression darkened. "He drinks too much. I am worried that he might hurt you or the baby." Heero wanted to tell her the real reason why he was concerned, the one that Pagan had informed him of, but even Heero knew that questioning a couple's private bedroom interactions was not appropriate, and even more so with someone like Relena and James.

"He'd never hurt me," Relena replied, but her voice shook, as if she were lying badly, or didn't believe her own words.

"Promise you will call for me, no matter what happens, if anyone tries to hurt you," Heero said, his blue eyes gazing into Relena's own lighter blue eyes. She stared up at him, an unreadable expression on her face. Before he could stop himself, he reached up and brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek.

"Heero…"

The song ended and James was up on his feet, ushering the guests out of the house, loudly proclaiming that he had much to do the next morning. Relena and Heero broke away from each other, surprised and confused. By the expressions on the faces of the other guests, they were surprised as well. But James was intent on getting everyone out of his house. Even the quartet packed up and were gone before anyone could speak to them.

Heero wanted to get out of James' way, so he headed for the stairs. He passed by Pagan, who was standing by the door, holding it open for the guests. Their eyes met for a moment, and Heero saw the worry in the old man's eyes. He continued on his way upstairs to his bedroom. He changed quickly from the suit, leaving it in a haphazard pile on a chair and waited beside the door. Slowly, the noise in the house ebbed, and he heard two sets of footsteps on the stairs. Heero cracked his door open slightly and listened.

"Good night, darling," Relena said. James grunted.

"I'm coming with you," James slurred.

"Oh darling, I'm so tired."

A creak as the door opened across the hall from Heero's room.

"I'm coming in," James growling.

"But…" Relena's voice cut off sharply, and the two sets of footsteps disappeared into the room and the door slammed closed. A sickening crack, like flesh on flesh, following a bright white lightning flashing through the window. A sharp crack of thunder echoed through the house, shaking the window panes inside their frames. And the downpour, crashing against the roof of the house. Heero closed his eyes, pushed the door shut and slumped down to the floor, his back against the door. Even through the two closed doors, Heero could hear Relena's cries of pain. And though they were only a few feet apart, he felt a million miles away in the middle of the torrential rain.

-/-\-

-Scarlet Eve


	16. Chapter 15

The Final Storm

Chapter 15

by Scarlet Eve

"Mister James, wake up," a voice was calling to him, and someone was shaking him by the arm. James wrenched his eyes open, blinking several times to clear the fog of sleep and drink from his vision. Pagan stood beside him, holding a candle, but averting his eyes. James lifted himself up on his bed, his head swimming and his room spinning around him. It took him a moment to realize that he was naked, lying on top of his blankets on the bed. He quickly covered himself with a pillow.

"What is it, Pagan?" James asked, pressing his other hand to his head. Pagan handed him down a cup of tea.

"A telegram has just arrived from your father. It sounds urgent," Pagan explained. He pulled the small card from his robe pocket and handed it over. A flash of lightning lit up the room through the slightly parted curtains. Thunder rumbled, shaking the house to the core. The storm continued to rage violently, throwing sheets of rain against the window like a cat o' nine tails.

James took the telegram and motioned for Pagan to move the candle closer.

_Return ASAP. Major problems. Keep Relena Happy. Father._

"Keep Relena happy?" James asked aloud after taking a sip of tea. He dropped the telegram onto the pillow covering his nakedness and looked up at Pagan. "What on earth is he talking about?" Pagan shook his head.

"I do not know, sir," Pagan replied. James handed up the empty tea cup and read the telegram again. Slowly, a thought penetrated his foggy mind, pushing aside the alcohol cloud. At the same time, the memories of the party returned to him. Keep Relena happy. James had barged into Relena's room last night. Why? That Heero fellow… they'd looked too happy to be dancing together. James scowled. The business. The partnership with the Peacecrafts! Something happened to jeopardize their partnership!

James leapt from the bed, dropped the pillow and stumbled. Pagan caught his arm to keep him from crashing to the floor. "The relationship with the Peacecrafts must have gone sour!" James cried. He looked around frantically for his clothing, and realized he must have left it in Relena's room. "Pagan! Ready a suitcase for me and call the carriage. I must return to the city immediately!" Pagan nodded and lit several more candles to bring light to the dark room. James dragged clothes from his wardrobe and pulled on a pair of trousers. As he buttoned the fly, he saw that there was a few dark specks on his hand. Slowly, he lifted his hand up and inspected it.

Blood. There was blood there.

"What the devil?" James quickly scrubbed his hand off on his pants and finished dressing. Pagan had a suitcase ready. "Take that downstairs. I will follow in a moment," James commanded. Pagan left the room. James snuffed all the candles in the room, save for one. The last one he picked up and carried down the hall from his room. Relena's door was closed. He pushed it open slowly and looked inside. Slowly, carefully, James crept into her room, avoiding the spots on the floor he knew to make noise. When he reached the side of her bed, he pushed aside her gauzy curtain and gazed down at her. Relena's hair was a tangled mess about her head, and there were dried tear streaks on her cheeks. And there, a red welt at her temple, a small trail of dried blood, and a darkening purple bruise that was circling her eye.

James stumbled back, clutching at his chest. He lifted his hand once more, but the blood evidence from his skin was gone. But the evidence on Relena, that was still there, and would be for some time. In a panic, James snuffed the candle between his fingers and fled the room, closing the door with a sharp click and nearly stumbling head first down the steps.

-\-/-

Before long, James was on the safety of the train, speeding towards the city. He'd managed to catch a late train, and even by the time the train rolled from the station, it was still dark. James realized he had no notion of the time, and he'd left his pocket watch in the pants that were still lying on the floor of Relena's room. The thought of Relena made James' stomach tighten unpleasantly. He leaned forward in his train seat and pressed his palms to his face. On his skin, he could detect the faintest lingering smell of her perfume, or perhaps he was only imagining. He searched his fragmented memories of the evening, looking for where it all went wrong. He knew of the dance between them, and looks between them, but was that really a reason to act as he did? Perhaps they were simply becoming friends, which might be a better motivator for Yuy to keep an eye on Relena.

James shook his head. There was nothing there, he assured himself. Yuy was just an employee of the estate, like Hilde, Pagan, Duo, and the other workers. Relena was his wife, carrying his child, and loved him.

Didn't she?

She had been awfully reluctant to allow him into her room the night before. But he'd been terribly drunk as well. And her pregnancy causes her to be delicate.

Then why had he been so angry?

James rose anxiously from his seat and began to pace up and down the aisle, his hands clasped behind him. What if the telegram was a fake, set up by Relena and Yuy, to get him out of the house, so they could continue their secret romance? He had been gone a lot since he hired Yuy…

James shook his head once more, trying to banish his thoughts. Relena would never do anything like that to him. She needed him.

Right?

No, she didn't. She was wealthy on her own, from old money with her family. She could easily just leave him and live her life as she wanted. She never needed to marry. It was he who wanted to marry her, to secure the partnership between his family and the Peacecrafts. She just went along with it. Why? Because he was the first one to pursue her?

So if Relena were unhappy, would it cause the failure of the partnership? Or was it already failing? So many questions he wanted answered, but he'd have to wait until he arrived in the city. James huffed and sat back down in his seat, twisted his hands around, trying to calm himself.

The tingling in his body reminded him that he was still slightly intoxicated. Hoping to catch some more sleep, James closed his eyes and tried to think of happy things…

-/-\-

When James arrived at his parent's home, he felt dirty, tired, and dreadfully hung over. He tried to push back his unruly hair the best he could, but it continued to stick out in all directions. The doorman let James into the house, and he was immediately descended upon by his father and mother.

"James! Relena, has she been writing to her brother?" his father asked, shaking James back and forth a bit.

"I do not know, father. I have been here with you most of the time. Why?"

James' father growled and turned away from his son, his hands planted on his hips.

"Something is going on. The Peacecrafts are thinking of pulling out of the partnership. They say that in the last two years, they haven't seen much improvement in our company, and aren't sure they want to remain associated. What is going on?" his father demanded. "The only thing I can think of is that Relena is unhappy and has been writing to that brother of hers. He's got the power and the money to do what he wants, which could completely ruin the company. Without their investments, we'll go bankrupt!"

James' eyes widened with surprise. He'd had no idea their situation was so precarious.

"I do not believe Relena is unhappy," James said quietly, trying to think, but all he could remember was what he imaged the night had been like for her. There's no way she could have gotten a telegram off in the middle of the night. "It must be something else."

"They won't say anything. We've only got about a month to come up with some plan to turn the company around, and show it to the Peacecraft representatives. Otherwise, we're done for."

James sighed heavily and sat down in a chair in the hallway of the Darlian home. He raked his hands through his greasy hair.

"We'll come up with something," James said, though he did not feel too confident about his statement. "You've got to tell me what has been going on. I had no idea we were in such bad financial shape!" James looked up sharply at his father, who looked guilty. His father waved his hand in a circle.

"It's just, you know we've been trying to buy up those smaller companies, to get rid of the competition. But that is costing us more money than we're making," his father said, his voice shaky and unsure. James stood up from the chair, knocking the back of it into the wall.

"Have you been consulting the board about those purchases?" James demanded to know. His father refused to look him in the eye. "Damn it father!" James began to pace.

"Don't speak that way to me!" his father yelled, but it was a meek command. James knew his father was lost.

"Son," his mother's voice cut into his thoughts. James turned to stare her down, but found her to be passive. She was sitting in another chair, holding a saucer in one hand and a tea cup in the other.

"Yes, mother?" James asked, calming down a bit.

"Your father has not been thinking clearly, of course. But there is more to the story than he is telling you," she said, taking a delicate sip of her tea. James looked to his father, who nodded slowly. He looked back to his mother. "The reason to keep Relena happy, is that her family does suspect that something is going on out in that estate of yours. They heard about your hiring that strange man to protect her after the second attempted kidnapping. They did say, specifically I might add, that if anything were to happen to the girl, that they would pull out of the partnership immediately and without looking back. As your father said, we would be ruined." James stared at his mother, mouth hanging open a bit. She looked back calmly, still sipping at her tea.

"Father!" James cried, spinning around to face his father again. "How did they find out we've been having security problems?"

"I don't know! Either from Relena or from someone else! I don't know!" His father looked to be near tears. James stepped back to the chair and sat down, leaning his head forward almost to his knees. Once again, the night before crashed into him, making him remember how he'd laid violent hands on his wife. Inwardly, he cursed every god he knew of, himself, his parents, Relena and her parents, and her overprotective brother.

"We've got to get to work then," James said, lifted his head. "First I'm getting cleaned up, then we're coming up with a plan to right these wrongs. We won't sleep until it is completed." James' father nodded, his head still hanging down. His mother watched, eyelids heavy, her lips pursed into a smug sort of look. James shook his head and snatched up his suitcase, then ascended the steps to his former bedroom.

-/-\-

A/N Thank you to all the new story follows and the author follows! I really appreciate the support. As always, I love reviews, so let me know what you think!

-Scarlet Eve


	17. Chapter 16

The Final Storm

Chapter 16

by Scarlet Eve

Relena woke up to the sound of two female voices speaking to each other in low tones. She tried to shift in her bed, but her entire body was sore. Her head ached and her eye felt puffy, and everything from her neck down was in pain. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight off the image of James placing himself on top of her, even after her pleas, and made violent love to her. Relena reached between her legs and felt herself; she was sticky and sore. With a groan, she forced herself up into a sitting position in the bed.

Hilde and Marge had been cleaning her room while she slept. James' discarded clothes on the floor were missing, and her dress, her lovely dress, which he had ripped off of her body in a fury, was gone as well.

"You're awake," Hilde said, rushing to Relena's side. Relena nodded, but it caused her head to swim. "Just rest," Hilde said. Marge glanced at Relena from the corner, looking sad and angry at the same time. Relena reached up to her face and felt the spot on her temple where the worst pain was coming from. Beneath her fingers, she felt a lump, and she felt the puffy skin around her eye.

"How bad is it?" Relena asked Hilde, who was sitting on the edge of her bed, wringing out a cloth. Hilde tried to smile, but failed. "Give me my mirror," Relena demanded. Marge picked up the silver mirror from the dressing table and presented it to Relena, who snatched it away and held the reflective surface up to her face. Sure enough, there was a large red welt on her temple, and her eye was ringed in a purple and black bruise. "Oh lord," she moaned and tossed away the mirror, where it landed on her blankets.

"It's alright, Relena," Hilde said soothingly. "We'll get you looking like yourself in no time, won't we Marge?" Marge nodded, her double chins shaking.

"Where is James?" Relena asked, her eyes narrowing. Anger was boiling inside of her, and she yearned to scream at her husband for laying his hands on her. Of course, a small part of her reminded her insistently that he could harm her far worse than anything she could do to him.

"He was called away to the city in the middle of the night. A telegram from his father…." Marge explained. She sat her ample backside on the bed, forcing the side down to a slant. Hilde nearly lost the basin of water she held on her lap. Once Hilde had control again, she reached over and pressed the warm cloth to Relena's eye.

"That bastard," Relena said angrily.

"Shh…" Hilde said. Relena crossed her arms over her pregnant abdomen. She hoped that baby was alright after what happened. She stroked the curve of her body, looking down at herself with her one good eye. Hilde removed the cloth, warmed it again in the basin and pressed it once more to Relena's face. Marge lifted a basket from the floor and left the room without a word. Once the door had shut again, Hilde leaned close to Relena.

"Heero was so angry this morning," she whispered. Relena tilted her head slightly. "I think he knows." Relena pressed her lips together and nodded.

"He said something to me last night, about being worried that James might do something. I suppose this is what he meant…" Relena told her. Hilde set aside the basin and wrapped Relena in a hug.

"I'm sure James didn't mean it…" Hilde said, pulling away slightly from the hug. Relena shrugged her shoulders.

"He'd had a lot to drink," Relena agreed. The girls fell silent for a moment, until there was a knocking on the door. Hilde rose to answer the knock, and found Heero standing on the other side of the door. Relena pulled up her blankets to cover herself.

"Heero?" Hilde asked, moving to block Heero's view of Relena.

"Hilde.. I need to talk to Relena," Heero said in a low voice. Relena watched from her bed, biting at her lower lip. A heat rose up her neck and cheeks as her mind dove into the fantasy she'd used the night before to make it through the night with James.

"It is fine, Hilde. Let me just get presentable," Relena called. Hilde nodded and closed the door enough that Heero couldn't see through. Relena dragged herself from her bed and rested her feet on the floor. With a grunt, she pushed herself up off the bed and leaned forward, rubbing her back with her hands. She found her silk dressing robe and wrapped it around herself and tied the strap closed at her stomach. She took a seat at the small table near the balcony, and nodded to Hilde, who opened the door and let Heero into the room. Hilde snuck out and closed the door with a click.

Relena watched as Heero crossed the room in only a few strides and knelt down in front of her on the floor. He took her face in his hands and looked at her wound.

"Relena…" Heero growled low, his eyes scanning the bruise around her eye and the lump at her temple. He traced his finger over it, gauging the swelling. Relena bit her lip as his touch, trying not to stare too deeply into his blue eyes, which were filled with so much worry and compassion that her heart felt like it would fall to her feet. She felt her breath becoming uneven. Heero lowered his hand from her face and dropped it to his side. He was trembling as well.

"I should have stopped him," Heero said quietly. Relena shook her head.

"No. If you had done that, he would have made you leave, and where would we be then?" Relena said, her hand reached out tentatively towards Heero's cheek. She brushed her fingers against his skin, feeling the stubble of facial hair. Something akin to electricity sparked up her skin. Heero gazed at her, his expression conveying confusion and wonder. Relena knew she shouldn't be touching him like this, but every part of her wanted more, more of his skin. She flattened her palm against his face, and Heero turned his cheek further into the warmth of her hand. Relena inhaled a shuddering breath, trying to relax her shoulders and her body. Heero lifted his hand up and curled his fingers over her hand and brought it to his mouth, where he kissed her palm.

"Relena…" Heero breathed. Relena felt a chill run over her body. "Let me stay close to you," he whispered.

"Yes," she replied. She wanted to slide off her chair into his lap, but she stayed, knowing that once the line was crossed, they could never go back. Her heart reached for him, but he was too far away, untouchable, just as she was untouchable for him. But they could stay by each other's sides, be friends, and watch over each other. Looking in his eyes, Relena knew he understood this as well. Even so, Heero rose and pulled her up with him, slipping his hands onto the small of her back and holding her close against his chest. From her position, she could hear his heart racing. Relena wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a hug, letting the hardness of his body press against her own softer body, taking in everything from the smell of his skin to the texture of his hair. She felt Heero reach up and grab a fist full of her hair, holding it tightly as if he never wanted to let her go. Relena lips burned, desiring for him to kiss her, but she knew it could not happen, not now, and not here. With extreme reluctance, they pulled away from each other, Relena's hand lingering in his for a moment, before he released her. Relena saw the red of Heero's face where he was blushing.

Relena's bedroom door opened, causing the two of them to jump. Marge appeared in the door, carrying a pile of Relena's laundered clothing.

"Miss Relena, Hilde has breakfast ready for you downstairs," Marge said, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.

"Thank you, Marge," Relena said. Heero said nothing but strode out of the room quickly and disappeared down the steps. Relena closed the door to her room and followed Marge into her dressing room.

"What was going on in there, Miss?" Marge asked after she dropped the pile onto a table.

"Nothing," Relena answered. Marge caught Relena's wrist and pulled her close.

"Don't you lie," Marge commanded, her eyes bright and fierce. Relena glared back at her with equal ferocity. "I have been cleaning your undergarments, Relena," Marge said, dropping the formalities. Relena's eye twitched. "I have never cleaned your girlish lust from your undergarments until this man showed up here." Relena's mouth dropped open and her hands flew to her mouth.

"Marge!" Relena gasped. Marge just stared back at her.

"I've been around a long time, Relena, and I have worked for a lot of women. This is nothing new. Your desire for this man is obvious if clues are looked for in the correct places," Marge said, pointing to the spot between Relena's legs. Relena was blushing furiously by now, her ears burning. Marge's gaze softened. "James does not satisfy you, this I know. How he managed to get you with child is beyond me, and none of my business. But take care, Relena, that you keep your lusty thoughts to yourself, and to never act on them. I don't say this for me, but for your safety. And his."

Relena felt extremely exposed, knowing that any secrets she might hide would be found. Everything in her life could be bared to anyone looking in the right places. Relena held her fist to her chest, trying to pull herself together and regain her pride. Marge lifted her eyebrows at her, waiting for some response.

"Thank you for informing me," Relena said. Marge nodded. Silently, the two women went about their usual morning routine, dressing Relena for the day, though this time, Marge made a point to try and hide the bruise around Relena's eye with a few extra pats of powder.

-/-\-

A/N: I apologize for being a bit MIA... I finally closed on my first house! Yay! And we'll just keep this story rollin'.

-Scarlet Eve


	18. Chapter 17

The Final Storm

Chapter 17

by Scarlet Eve

Heero had rushed down the steps, his skin burning and his senses clouded and confused. Whatever his feelings had developed into for this girl, it seemed she felt the same way. When Heero hit the landing at the bottom of the steps, he began to pace, trying to sort out his whirling mind. How much he'd wanted to kiss her there in her room was overwhelming. Heero clenched his teeth until his jaw ached. He knew it was going to be difficult to be around her and not desperately want her.

Pagan entered the hall and stopped near Heero, watching him pace. Heero glanced up at him.

"Hello Pagan," Heero said.

"Sir," Pagan said with a bow of his head, then gestured to a crate that sat on the floor near the front door. Pieces of hay stuck out from between the slats of the boards. "I believe that shipment is for you?" Heero exhaled with relief. Something to do, something to focus his mind on, rather than how beautiful Relena looked in the late morning sun…

Heero mentally slapped himself, thanked Pagan and went to work on the crate, prying off the lid and digging around inside. Sure enough, several new locks for the windows were inside the box, along with the new knob and locking system for the front door. Heero carried his crate outside and promptly set to work.

His project kept him busy until evening, when he heard Hilde ringing the bell for the farm hands to come up for dinner. He hadn't seen Relena all day. It was probably for the best anyway. If he saw her again so soon, well, he suppressed the thought of what he might do. But he realized with some annoyance that his stomach was growling at him, so Heero tossed his tools to the ground and walked around the outside of the house towards the back. The farm hands were already arriving towards the kitchen house, where Hilde had a table set up with dinner for them. Duo was standing by her, his hands on his hips, smiling and chatting with the workers. Hilde was handing out dishes and other utensils. Duo caught sight of Heero and waved him over.

"Hey there buddy! Come on!" Heero quickened his pace slightly until he was standing near Duo, who snagged a couple of plates and loaded them up. Duo pecked a kiss on Hilde's cheek and motioned for Heero to follow him. They walked a short distance from the crowd and sat down on a bench.

"I just wanted to hear how the party went. Hilde had me so busy I barely had time to sit down at all last night," Duo complained, stuffing his face with food from the plate. Heero raised his eyebrow and shook his head.

"It was fine," Heero said. Duo looked at him skeptically.

"I was only putting on the positive show for the others," Duo said, his face darkening. "Hilde told me the state Relena is in." Heero nodded and sighed; he pushed his food around his plate with his fork.

"He went in with her last night, and he must have used force to subdue her enough to…" Heero stopped, not wanting to speak the words he knew were true.

"I haven't seen the princess all day, so I don't know how bad it is," Duo said.

"Black eye and swollen temple," Heero informed him, the weight of concern resting on his shoulders.

"That bastard!" Duo growled, stabbing at a piece of meat with his fork.

"Do you know where she is?" Heero asked.

"Hilde said Pagan is keeping her indoors and away from everyone. He doesn't want the workers to see her like that," Duo said. Heero thought about Relena sitting alone at that overly large dining room table, eating her dinner.

"I think…" Heero began to say, but stopped suddenly, clamping his mouth shut. Duo glanced at him.

"You think what?"

Heero hesitated, not wanting to divulge his secret, but if he were to do it, Duo would be the only one who might understand. Duo stared at him expectantly, which managed to not hinder his aggressive eating habits.

"I think I'm.. falling for her," Heero said quietly. He felt a little better after saying it out loud, but he still felt stupid. Duo smacked him on the back.

"That much was obvious," Duo laughed.

"This isn't a joke," Heero scowled.

"I know, buddy. It is serious. Its gonna be hard to be near her without wanting to be even closer. You have to deal with James as well. And when the baby comes…"

"Now you're just making it worse," Heero said, setting aside his plate and holding his head in his hands. "I'll just have to leave here. I'll finish increasing the security on the house and move on," Heero said.

"No, no, no," Duo said, shaking his head. "You can't leave. If you care at all about her, you'll stay here, and make sure her bastard husband doesn't lay another hand on her. Whatever feelings you have will make it difficult, I know, but she needs you more than that." Duo was forceful in his speech, and Heero couldn't deny that Duo was correct. "You have'ta stay and act as if nothing has changed."

"You're right," admitted Heero. He sat back up and picked up his plate.

The next few weeks passed in relative silence. Heero had overheard Relena talking with Pagan about having not heard a word from James since his disappeared the night after the party. Heero wished Relena wouldn't spend any of her time or energy worrying about that man. After his attack on her, she seems to grow thinner, paler and more fragile than she had been before. And that thought worried Heero immensely.

Relena and Heero spent their time together, hardly speaking and keeping a safe distance between them. A safe physical distance, anyway. Heero could not stop thinking about her when he tried to sleep at night. And sometimes, when he looked at her, he'd find that she would be staring at him, and she'd quickly look away, blushing. The bruise around her eye began to fade, until it was just a purple circle beneath her eye, adding to the circles formed from her erratic sleeping patterns.

Over the passing weeks, Relena's pregnancy continued on, her abdomen growing larger as the baby grew. She moved slower, and took more time sitting down and standing up. Her hands seemed to permanently rest on her lower back, as if she had to hold herself up. When asked, Hilde informed Heero that Relena was moving on through her seventh month of pregnancy.

Relena was withdrawn most of the time as well, and Heero wondered if something else happened to her that was causing her sullen mood. She was like a candle struggling to stay lit in the wind. He wanted to reach out to her, but it seemed like at every moment, Pagan or Marge were popping in and out of rooms in the house, interrupting their time together. Marge, in particular, seemed to be focused on Heero quite a bit. She would throw him looks whenever the two were together. Not dirty looks, in particular, but just knowing looks.

Heero found himself clinging to his memory of Relena during the party. He pictured her eyes lighting up at the excitement, and the thrill of conversation with someone other than the occupants of the house. That night, she was full of laughter and humor, and he wanted to see her as the confident adult that he knew she was, but hid from those at the estate, especially her husband. After the silent weeks, Heero made the decision to try and pull her from whatever slump she was stuck in. He went to the kitchen house in the morning and found Hilde preparing Relena's tea.

"Morning Hilde," Heero said, stepping up into the warm kitchen.

"Hello Heero. What can I do for you?" she asked pleasantly. Heero knew that Duo had spilled everything to Hilde, and since then, Hilde had been even nicer to him than before, though it wasn't that she hadn't even been negative towards him in the first place. Heero didn't mind.

"I want to take Relena out for a long walk and maybe bring lunch along," he said. Hilde turned to look at him, a big smile on her face.

"That is so sweet, Heero," Hilde gushed. She clapped her hands together and looked around the kitchen. "I will take Relena her tea and whip something together!" Heero thanked her and used the hidden door to enter the dining room from the kitchen house. He took up his usual spot in the parlor, and continued to read one of the many books from the library, at least until Relena was ready to come downstairs.

Heero had no idea how much time had passed before he heard her bare feet on the wood floor. It was a sound he'd grown used to listening for. From the doorway of the parlor, Relena poked her head in.

"Heero?"

"Hn?"

"Hilde told me to come talk to you about something," she said, acting very shy. Heero grinned and closed his book, setting it aside on the table.

"Yes," he said, crossing the room. "I thought maybe today we could go for a walk, and take along a picnic." Heero felt stupid saying it, but he was rewarded by Relena's smile and her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"That's a wonderful idea!" she cried. "I'll go get my hat." She took off up the steps to her bedroom while Heero waited down below. He found it difficult to stop smiling.

-Scarlet Eve


	19. Chapter 18

The Final Storm

Chapter 18

by Scarlet Eve

The afternoon was a lovely one. The sky was a beautiful blue color, scattered with white puffy clouds. The sun shone high in the sky, warming the farm, helping the crops grow. There was a slight breeze, which always helped on those hot, summer afternoons.

Relena walked barefoot across the grass, Heero at her side, carrying the picnic basket. As she walked, Relena felt the sun warming her skin, making her alive again. After the incident with James, she'd been feeling down and confused, but on this day, she began to feel like her old self, like she was before she ever got married. The Relena who got kicked out of parties for being outspoken. And the thing that made Relena feel the most light-hearted was that Heero, who grew up modestly, would never think her personality was over the top, or not suitable for the rich lifestyle that Relena's family and friends all lived.

As she walked, she imagined a life of travel, of seeing the country, and what lies beyond, all from the back of a horse, or speeding along in a boxcar, watching the scenery fly by. And all the while, Heero would be beside her, teaching her to shoot a gun and gamble. She'd wear pants like a man, and hide her hair up in a man's hat.

Relena laughed. Heero threw her an inquiring look. "I was just imagining myself as an outlaw, wearing men's clothes and traveling the country," Relena said.

"Maybe someday you will," Heero said, but Relena only shrugged.

"Not unless James will ever stop working…" Relena huffed, and Heero went silent. Relena glanced up at Heero's face and saw a shadow there. She figured it was the mention of James.

The past few weeks, after the obvious admission she and Heero had made to each other of their affections, Relena felt nervous and confused. James represented to her stability and safety. Between the two of them, they could live more than comfortable for the rest of their lives. Relena could remain among her circle of friends that she'd created in the city without fear of disgracing herself or her family. Her position allowed her to help people through charities and other programs. She could pursue the things she'd always wanted to change about their lives and the lives of others.

But Heero…

Relena sighed inwardly, glancing up at him as they walked. Heero represented adventure, freedom, and excitement. And not only that, but Relena felt more attracted to him than she'd ever felt about anyone. Though he spent much of his time silent, Relena could see so many thoughts and emotions that would flash behind his eyes, even in just a second, and yet Relena knew those emotions and thoughts ran deep inside of him, never spoiling the surface. Heero was so different from James, who always allowed his anger and frustration spill over, usually manifesting as crass outbursts and moments of stupidity. He always managed to make Relena feel embarrassed for him when he was oblivious.

Relena felt a kick in her abdomen. Her hands moved to rest over her stomach, feeling another kick against her hand. She smiled, thinking of the child, which was another source of contention for her. It was James' child, of course, but would James love the child? James' affection for people was always so false that Relena could never be sure who he liked and who he did not. And the same fear that nagged at Relena for months rose up, wondering if the gender of the baby would please him, or make him angry. Silently, Relena hoped for a girl, so if the time ever came that Relena needed to get away, she could take her child with her. James would surely want the boy to groom into another James Darlian, Junior.

"Do you want to stop here?"

Heero's voice pulled her from her dark thoughts. She looked around, and found that they had made their way into a copse of trees towards the back of the property.

"Yes," Relena said, stepping forward into a patch of grass. Heero followed and set the basket down on the ground. Relena began to lower herself, but found it difficult. Her balance was completely off, and if she moved in just the wrong way, she ran the risk of toppling over. Heero stood behind her and grasped her under the arms and assisted her with sitting down on the ground, then lowered himself beside her.

"Thank you," Relena said, feeling embarrassed and helpless. Heero reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"You're welcome, Relena," he said, his eyes soft and warm. Relena's heart raced. The way Heero pronounced her name always made her heart race. It came from deep in his chest, and he spoke as he exhaled, rounding out the letters, and ending a bit of urgency to the last syllable. Or desire. Relena stared back at him, her lips parted slightly. Neither moved for a moment, waiting to see what the other would do. Finally, Heero turned away and reached for the basket. He began to unpack the food, under Relena's watchful eye. She couldn't help but notice the deep, rich color of his skin under the filtered sunlight, the way his hair shone, despite the unruly tangles. The way he never muttered to himself while he worked, unlike James.

Heero carefully divided the food between the two, and they sat in silence for a while, munching on the lunch that Hilde had prepared. Relena began to feel her anxieties settle, her nerves unwind, and her eyelids getting heavy. From the corner of her eye, she saw Heero stealing glances at her with a mixture of concern and fondness on his face. Relena was reminded of the time before her marriage, when she and James were courting, and they would do the same thing. Her sensibilities told her to stop, that she was wrong, but her heart pushed her forward on.

After Relena had finished part of her lunch, she turned herself around and leaned back, letting her head cushion itself against Heero's thigh. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"Nothing, Heero. Just relaxing." Heero settled at this, and Relena felt his hand rest among the strands of her hair. He began to toy with the strands, and Relena closed her eyes. She always loved when her mother and her nanny would play with her hair.

"Heero?"

"Yes?"

"Where would you go if you could go anywhere?" Relena asked, resting her hands on the top of her pregnant belly. He chuckled slightly.

"It is silly," he said, sliding his fingers through her hair.

"Tell me," Relena said, though it came out more as a demand.

"I want to go everywhere, but I want to do it from the air, like a bird," Heero said, his voice low and slightly embarrassed.

"Like a glider? Or a hot air balloon?"

"No, like if a motor carriage could fly," Heero said. Relena thought about the idea for a moment, touching her bottom lip with one finger.

"I suppose the trip would be much faster than way," she commented. "Can you imagine soaring over the ocean? Or a desert?" Relena asked wistfully.

"Yes," Heero replied honestly. "I can." Relena smiled up at him.

"Once the baby is born, I'd love to go on an adventure," Relena mused. "Travel the country. I've never been further than the city and here." Heero absently twisted her hair around his fingers as she spoke.

"That's a shame," Heero replied. "There is a lot to see. And even more outside of our country." Relena closed her eyes, a smile still on her face.

"Tell me," she whispered.

Heero began to tell her about the wonders he'd seen on his travels. He told her about the ocean on the west coast, the trees heavy with fruit in the south, the reds, yellows and browns of the desert, the northern lights near Canada…

Relena kept her eyes closed, imaging the scenery as Heero described it to her. She relaxed so much, she felt like she were flying over the land, like the car-like-bird that Heero described. The ground below zipped past her, blurring into different colors, and she passed in and out of clouds.

Relena didn't know when she fell asleep, but she was soon awakened by a shaking on her shoulders. She opened her eyes to find Heero leaning down over her. "Relena, we should get up to the house. There's a storm coming in," he said. As if to reinforce his point, lightning flashed in the sky above them, and a rumble of thunder followed. Heero helped Relena to her feet, and they quickly gathered up their lunch and began to walk back towards the house. Neither one noticed right away that their fingers were entwined together as they walked.

Lightning and thunder began to come in at a much faster pace, and the sky darkened considerably before they exited the woods. Before they knew it, the clouds opened up and rain began to fall in sheets from the sky. It only took a moment before they were both soaked through to the bone.

"Run!" Heero called, but Relena didn't move. She remained where she was, and stretched her arms out and lifted her face to the sky, allowing the rain to fall on her face and skin, cooling her, refreshing her, and in some ways, cleansing her. Heero stood with head tilted to the side, waiting.

"You're going to get sick," he said. Relena shook her head, but reached her hand out to him once more.

"That's a myth," she called over another rumble of thunder. Together, they ran through the soaking grass, their feet sloshing in the water that already collected above the dirt. Relena's hair whipped out behind her in wet clumps, and Heero's became plastered to his face. Soon, the house came into view through the pouring rain, and they picked up speed, as much as Relena could manage, to reach the shelter. Finally, Heero let go of her hand and jumped up onto the deck, pulled Relena up behind him, and together, they crashed through the back door into the house.

They couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous they looked, both wet and dripping all over the wood floor. Relena looked up at Heero through her sopping hair, smiling.

"Relena, Heero, what is going on?"

Relena and Heero's gaze snapped away from each other. Standing on the other end of the hall near the front door, and now taking long strides towards them, was James. Pagan was right on his heels, looking worried. James looked travel worn and tired, and only slightly wet from the rain. His face was rapidly changing from white to red as he moved closer, and one of his eyes was twitching. Relena stepped forward, her dress dragging on the ground from the added weight of the water, and held her hands out.

"James! You're home!" she cried, her voice taking on the high pitched girlishness tone that she always used with him. But she was terrified.

"Only to find my wife is out gallivanting with this man," James muttered, emphasizing "man" as if it were a dirty word. He reined himself in as he neared, his eyes glaring down at her. Relena saw his hands clench into fists at his sides, and her insides churned, and her heart began to race.

"We were only enjoying the day, my love! It began to rain, so we rushed back here!" she said, her eyes wide with pleading. James' eyes narrowed, indicating he did not believe what she was saying. Relena grabbed the lapels of his suit, trying to convince him. James reached to her arms and gripped her hard, forcing Relena to wince. Behind her, she could feel the anger and emotion from Heero. She willed him to stay calm. "It was just-"

Relena cried out in pain, and she lurched forward, her arms flying to her abdomen. She clutched it in pain, her shoulders shaking.

"Relena!" Heero and James cried at once, and took a step towards her.

"What's wrong?" James asked her frantically, and his anger left him as if he'd been punched in the stomach.

"I don't-" Another wave of pain washed over her, bringing her to her knees.

"She's going into labor," Pagan said from behind them. James whirled around to stare at the butler.

"It's not time!" he shouted, but Pagan stood his ground.

"We've got to get her into bed, and we've got to call Doctor Winner," Pagan demanded. Meanwhile, Relena was curled on the ground, with Heero knelt beside her, his hand on her arm.

"Fine!" James ran, grabbing his coat from the hook on the wall and throwing it around his shoulders. "I'll get the doctor!" And he was out the door. Relena glanced up at Pagan and Heero.

"Help me…"

-Scarlet Eve


	20. Chapter 19

The Final Storm

Chapter 19

by Scarlet Eve

Heero carefully lifted Relena from the floor as James slammed the front door behind him. Moans of pain escaped her as he picked her up, and when his arm brushed against the back of her legs, it came away with blood. "Relena…?" Heero whispered, his heart racing faster than before. He looked down at her face, which was rapidly paling. Silent tears were escaping her eyes.

"Upstairs, quickly," Pagan urged, pulling Heero on the shoulder. Heero followed, climbing the staircase carefully to avoid putting Relena in more pain. Pagan opened the door to her room, then hurried off, calling for Marge and Hilde. Heero entered her room, which was darkened from the drawn curtains, and gently laid Relena on her bed. Heero pulled a chair to the bedside and sat down, taking her hand in his own. She was so cold.

"Heero?" Relena called, her voice faint as if from far away. Through her dress, he could see that she was losing more blood. Heero tried hard to keep himself from panicking.

"I'm here," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. Thunderous footsteps sounded from the steps, and the two other women of the house burst into the room. Marge had a load of towels and sheets in her arms, and Hilde was carrying a large basin full of water.

"Out! Out!" Marge scolded Heero. She pulled him up by the arm after depositing her load onto the bed, and pushed him from the room.

"But-!" he tried to protest, but Marge leaned in close.

"You are not her husband, father or brother, and even in those cases, I wouldn't want them in the room for this. You wait out here for Mister James," she said in a harsh whisper, then slammed the bedroom door in his face. Heero took a startled step backwards. Pagan was standing a few feet away, twisting his hands together.

"The life of a man," he mumbled absently. Heero glanced at the older man, then began to pace up and down the hall.

Heero had no idea how much time had passed by the time he heard two horses gallop to the house. He rushed to the window at the end of the hall and looked down. James and Doctor Winner were jumping off their horses, rain streaming down their overcoats. Hilde must have informed Duo, because he was there waiting to take their horses from the rain. James and Quatre disappeared from sight, but he heard the door bang open and the loud footsteps on the stairs. From inside the room, every few minutes, Relena would cry out, shriek or nearly scream in pain.

Quatre reached the top of the steps first, and cast off his overcoat and hat onto the ground. He had a black leather bag in his hand. He nodded to Heero and Pagan. "Gentleman," he said, then pushed open the door to Relena's room and disappeared inside. James watched him go, then glanced at Heero.

"What happened when I left?" he asked, worry tightening his voice.

"I brought her up here, then Marge made me get out of the room. She was bleeding," Heero said, staring hard at James. He'd terrified Relena, and now she was going into premature labor. If either Relena or the baby died… Heero would have to put himself in jail to avoid outright killing James. The other man slumped onto the floor in a fetal position, but he was silent.

Heero resumed his pacing, trying to block images of what might be transpiring in Relena's room at the moment. After about a half hour, the door opened and Hilde slipped out, carrying the basin. Her arms, dress, and the basin were all covered in blood. All three men blanched, and Heero turned away to look out the window. Hilde said nothing upon her return with more water, and disappeared back into the room.

Another hour. James had abandoned the second floor landing and disappeared downstairs. However, Heero and Pagan could hear his agonized wailing from the direction of his office. Pagan had brought out a chair and was sitting on it, rubbing his lower back as he sat. Heero paced still.

As he approached the hallway window once more, he stopped when he saw movement. A carriage was rattling up the drive, drawn by two horses. "Someone is here," Heero said. He heard a grunt behind him, and slowly Pagan shuffled up to the window.

"That is Doctor Winner's carriage. It must be his wife," Pagan said. Sure enough, the driver opened the door holding an umbrella, and the blonde haired french woman stepped from the carriage. The driver walked with her up to the porch.

"I must let them in," Pagan said, still rubbing his back.

"Sit. I'll go," Heero said. Pagan gave Heero a grateful look and sat back down in his chair. Heero hurried down the steps. Dorothy was knocking as he reached the landing. Heero wrenched the door open.

"Mister Yuy? You're the last one I would have expected opening doors in this house," she said, stepping around him and into the house. The driver tipped his hat and disappeared into the torrential rain. As Heero closed the door, flash of lightning in the sky and a rumble of thunder occurred at about the same time.

"What are you doing here?" Heero asked as he watched Dorothy take off her coat and hat and hang them up on the coat rack.

"I wanted to see how Miss Relena was faring," Dorothy said casually. "Plus my husband is here and I was so bored at home." Heero raised his eyebrows. She whirled around to face him. "Please show me the kitchen. I'm sure everyone would like a cup of tea." Heero was feeling confused by this woman, but he showed her through the dining room, where the wailing of James was louder, and into the kitchen where Hilde normally stayed.

"That must be dear James. I'm sure this is all very difficult for him, Relena being so young, and the baby so early," Dorothy mused. She bustled around the kitchen, locating items she needed even if she had to open every cupboard in the room. Soon she had a kettle of water on the stove and a silver tray laid out with the tea service. She even managed to find a few biscuits.

"You've only just met Relena. Why do you care about her well being?" Heero asked. Dorothy smiled at him.

"I'll ignore the rudeness of that question, Mister Yuy, because I am sure you are just as stressed as James," she said. There was a look in her eye that Heero did not like. "I happened to take a liking to the girl during the party. Of course word travels in this town, even if you think it won't. I know what he did to her," Dorothy seated herself in one of the chairs at the table. Heero stared at her, and he knew her to be telling the truth. "Quatre and I were quite upset when he heard, but you know, we could not say anything. Manners and society and all that," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "I thought if there were more people here, it might help keep him in line."

Heero blinked once, still staring at her, now awestruck. Despite her coldness, her strange personality and wicked smiles, she was on his side. On Relena's side.

"Understood," Heero said. Dorothy smiled.

"Good. Now let's go have some tea," she said. The kettle had begun to whistle. Dorothy quickly made a pot of tea in the silver teapot, and with Heero carrying the tray, they went back into the house and up the steps to the landing.

Pagan was still sitting in his chair, his face pale. Heero immediately knew why. The sounds coming from inside the room were horrible. Mingled with Relena's cries, were shouts between Quatre, Hilde and Marge. Heero could not understand what they were saying, but he could hear their voices well enough.

"Oh dear," Dorothy mumbled. Heero set the tea tray down on the table beside Relena's door, and Dorothy served tea to the three of them. Outside the house, the wind whipped around, and the rain fell even harder against the windows and the roof. Lightning and thunder were riding through the storm, piggy-backing off each other. The lightning flashing through the window cast shadows over the three gathered in the hallway, an eerily sad scene.

Dorothy had located another chair and was sitting on it, still drinking tea. Heero had finished his in a hurry and went back to pacing. Another hour. More cries and shouts from the bedroom. After a while, James nearly crawled back up the steps to sit at the top of the landing. He was clearly drunk, his eyes glazed over, his head unsteady. Every couple of minutes, he would moan loudly. The man was a wreck.

Another hour. Things had quieted. The storm was moving on, leaving behind rain and distant rumbles of thunder. James was slumped against the wall once more, asleep. Heero had stopped pacing and also took a seat on the floor. At some point during the hour, Duo had quietly snuck up the steps, looking drenched from being outside, but no one said anything. He had nothing to say either, as he waited in as much anticipation as everyone else.

From inside the room, they heard Quatre say something, then one more sentence, and miraculously, a long, loud cry. A baby's cry. James woke up, and everyone turned to stare at the door. Dorothy pressed a hand to her chest in relief.

"Thank goodness," she said, and Pagan nodded. Heero scrambled to his feet, as did Duo and James. They began to circle the door like vultures. "Boys," Dorothy scolded. "Step back." They obeyed, and Duo rested his hand on Heero's shoulder.

"She'll be fine," he whispered, but Heero looked skeptical.

"You didn't see the blood," he whispered back. Duo paled slightly, but he maintained a smile. Several agonizing minutes passed before they could hear more noise from the room. And finally, the door opened. A collective breath was sucked in.

Quatre appeared in the doorway, holding a small bundle in his arms. Behind him, Marge and Hilde were scurrying around the room, collecting bloodied sheets and towels. James tripped forward towards the doctor.

"My child?" he asked, and Quatre nodded. Quatre turned the bundle around slowly, until all present could see the small face of a child, eyes closed, the skin still red from birth. "And is it…?" James began to ask.

"A girl," Quatre said triumphantly. Heero watched as James' face fell in disappointment, but he reached out for the baby anyway. Quatre seemed reluctant to hand the baby over. James swayed on his feet, and Dorothy sprang up from her chair.

"Let me see the darling," she said and took the bundle from her husband's arms. She angled her body in such a way that James could see the baby, but not necessarily touch her.

"A girl…" James said quietly, his glassy eyes roving over the face of his newborn. Heero stopped up to Quatre and leaned in close. As he did so, Heero told himself he had no right to conspire with this doctor; they barely knew each other. But the look in Quatre's eye told Heero that what Dorothy said was true.

"How is she?" Heero asked, and Quatre already had an answer, as if he expected the question.

"She has lost a lot of blood, and the birth nearly wiped her out, but she is resting, and I believe she will be fine," Quatre said. Together, the two men glanced back into the room, where Relena was lying on clean sheets. Her face was nearly white, her hair was a tangled mess and she had dried tear stains on her cheeks. Heero wanted to touch her, to feel her heartbeat, but he could not.

Quatre gently placed a hand on Heero's shoulder and gave him an understanding look. Behind him, Hilde and Marge had appeared, and the two women exited the room, closing the door and cutting off Heero's view of her. Hilde went directly to Duo, and they began speaking to each other in urgent whispers. Marge simply walked towards her own room and disappeared inside.

"Let me hold her," James demanded suddenly. Dorothy tried to pull away, but somehow, James managed the ability to snatch the baby from her arms. The little girl whimpered in her sleep, and James held her close. Heero looked at the little girl in her father's arms, and a passing, fleeting image went through his mind, of him holding his own little girl. Heero closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew Relena was in that image. Now was not the time…

-/-\-

The rain had finally let up, and it only drizzled. Puddles filled the front drive and the yard, and there was a section that looked like a small pond had formed. To be safe and keep an eye on Relena, Quatre and Dorothy remained at the estate overnight. Pagan had put them up in a guest room for the night. Duo and Hilde helped prepare a small dinner for everyone, which Heero chose not to attend. James had finally given up the child, and the little girl was now sleeping in Relena's room with her.

Heero tried to sleep, but despite the late hour and the stress of the day, he could not lie still. His mind was only focused on Relena, like a compulsion. In a strange way, he was afraid that if he stopped thinking about her, she might die. This fear drove him to pacing his room.

A light knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. Heero rushed over and pulled the door open. Dorothy was standing on the other side, in a dressing robe. She lifted a finger to her lips to shush him, then turned and motioned for him to follow. They quietly crossed the hall to Relena's door, and Dorothy opened it. "Go. See her. I will keep watch," she said. Heero nodded and stepped inside the room. Dorothy closed it, and he heard a chair move and a slight creak as she sat down.

Heero rushed to the bedside and knelt down. Relena was still pale, and her hair was still a mess around her head. Tentatively, Heero reached out and brushed his fingers against her cheek. She stirred.

"Heero?" a faint whisper, but a whisper nonetheless. Heero rose and bent over her.

"I'm here," he said. Relena's eye fluttered before opening all the way, the lids heavy with sleep and whatever pain medications Quatre had administered. Relena lifted a hand to him.

"Heero," she said again, smiling a bit. "My baby?"

"She's fine," Heero said. He could see the white bassinet on the other side of the bed. Relena's face fell.

"Girl," she said, closing her eyes. Her lip trembled slightly. Heero sat down beside her and took both her hands in his.

"Don't, Relena," he said. "It'll be alright. I would…" he paused, and Relena watched him expectantly. "I would give my life for you and your girl," he said quietly. After stating it out loud, Heero felt himself change. Never before had love been a major part of his life. But it was now.

Relena smiled and tightened her grip on his hands. Heero leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Relena's lips, which were cold. The kiss ignited something inside Heero, and he desperately wanted her more, more than before, more than ever. Under his shadow, she was so frail, but she was smiling. She lifted one of her hands and pressed it to his cheek.

"Heero, we can't be together, but everyday I have wished we could," she said. Heero's chest tightened. He knew it was true, so why did it pain him to hear her say it?

"Relena, I love you," Heero blurted out. Relena closed her eyes and nodded.

"And I love you, too," she said. "But we just can't, Heero." Relena glanced towards the bassinet. "Bring her." Heero nodded and released her hands, his chest aching painfully. He made his way around the large bed and picked up the small baby from the bassinet. She was so small and so warm. Carefully, Heero carried her to Relena, and handed the bundle over. As he let the small weight shift from his hands to her's, Heero imagined he was handing over his own baby to her, their child, rather than the child of another man. Heero closed his eyes and willed the image away. It only made things harder than they already were.

"Her name is Elizabeth," Relena said, gently touching the baby's face. Heero reached out and touched Elizabeth's cheek. "Heero, promise to stay by me," Relena said.

"Of course." He reached out and gathered both Relena and Elizabeth into his arms and held them to his chest. "Always." A single tear rolled from Heero's eye and dropped onto the blanket wrapped around baby Elizabeth.

-/-\-

-Scarlet Eve


	21. Chapter 20

The Final Storm

Chapter 20

by Scarlet Eve

James woke up, his cheek stuck to his desk, a puddle of drool collecting under his chin. He jerked upright in his chair and wiped his face with his sleeve. His decanter was empty, sitting on his desk, and at some point he'd knocked over his crystal glass, and it was lying in pieces on the floor. He couldn't even remember doing it. Or hearing it. Beside where his hand had lain was the telegram from Treize. The man was going to run for senate, but he'd found some sleazy man named Dekim to be his right hand man. James was out. Aspirations for government were gone. Thinking back, James realized this was why he'd spent the right of the night drinking away his anger.

James slowly lifted himself from the chair and rubbed his face. He felt dirty, greasy and queasy. He'd need a bath. As he walked from his office, the rest of the events from the previous day hit him full force.

"Relena had the baby," he said to himself, and he nearly lost his balance, but he reached out and grabbed for the desk. He gripped the desk so hard that his knuckles turned white. She'd had the baby, and it was a girl. He was about to scream at her for being out with Yuy, but she'd gone into labor. And there'd been so much blood!

James pushed himself back up and rushed from his office, slamming the door behind him. The house was quiet, and the grandfather clock in the hall said it was only just after six in the morning. Stumbling and using the wall to keep himself upright, James hurried down the hall and up the steps to the second floor landing. He saw Relena's door was cracked open slightly. Tightening his hands into fists, he marched to the door and slammed it open.

"Yuy!?" he shouted.

But Yuy was not in there. Relena was lying in the bed, holding the baby against her chest, feeding her. And Quatre was standing beside the bed, jotting down something in a notebook. Both had turned to look at him at his outburst, and the little baby gave a wail. Relena threw James a nasty look and cradled the little girl to her chest, whispering soothing words.

"Uh, good morning James," Quatre said. He looked underslept and rumpled. James' face grew hot, and he relaxed his arms and hands.

"Good morning, Doctor," he said sheepishly. James inched further into the room. Relena wouldn't look at him. "Good morning darling," he added, but still, she kept her eyes averted from his, focusing all her attention on the baby. James felt his frustration rising, but his father and mother's voice rang in his head: Keep Relena happy! If anything happens, the Peacecrafts will pull the partnership!

James took a deep breath and released it, trying to let himself cool off. When he felt a little better, he turned to Quatre. "I'm afraid I don't remember much of the night. Everything was alright?" Quatre nodded his head.

"As well as we could hope for such an early birth. Relena lost quite a bit of blood, so she should remain in her bed for a while, until her strength builds up again. She should not be under too much stress either, as her body is so weak right now." There was something in Doctor Winner's aqua eyes that James didn't trust.

"I see," he replied. "May I have a moment alone with my wife and child?" Quatre nodded and excused himself from the room, closing the door on his way out. James approached the bed and sat down on the edge, the mattress sinking down. Relena had pulled the baby away from her chest and had readjusted her nightgown. She was pale and sick looking, but the baby seemed healthy enough.

"I've named her Elizabeth," Relena said mildly. James nodded. "You smell like bourbon."

"Sorry dear. I haven't had time to wash yet," he replied, trying to keep his voice level.

"You were gone for a long time this time," Relena said. James nodded once more. He looked up at her and her calculating gaze. Who was this girl, who had always looked at him so innocently, now giving him a look like James' coworkers and business partners. He supposed it must run in the Peacecraft family.

"We are… having some problems with the business," James said, laying it out on the line. He glanced up at her, but she seemed unsurprised. Had she known all along? "Have you been writing to your brother? Or your parents?" He nervously twisted the edge of his jacket.

"Not lately, why?" James' chest swelled with annoyance. What she toying with him? Or being serious?

"It seems your parents are wanting to disband the partnership between their company and my family's," James said, still struggling to control himself. Relena lifted an eyebrow, then shifted around to place Elizabeth on the blankets beside her.

"I haven't heard anything about that," Relena said, and James determined that she sounded sincere. "Did they say why?"

"No."

"Hmm."

"Are you sure you know nothing about this?" he asked, anger flaring up. Relena frowned deeply at him.

"I do not know anything," she repeated, slowly and deliberately. "I'd like you to leave my room. You are making me upset."

"What have you been telling them?" he roared, rising to his feet and standing over her on the bed. Her stony face fell and she was now terrified. "Have you been telling them that I mistreat you? I suppose you told them that I hit you!" Relena shrank back into the pillows, but his rage, anger, and frustration with his parents, his company, Relena's family, Yuy, the girl, all of it rose to the top and bubbled over like a stew left unattended. His chest heaved with the effort of his anger. "And what have you been doing with Yuy? Tell me Relena! I suppose you've been planning to run off with him!" he shouted. He didn't miss the slight flicker in her eyes. The truth. There was something going on between them.

"James stop," Relena said. The baby had started to cry. James turned his attention to the crying child, the sound grating against his ears like nails on a chalkboard. He was about to lunge for the girl when the bedroom door banged open and Yuy came flying in, knocking James to the ground. Quatre, Dororthy and Pagan were there too, staring down at them in shock. James struggled against the weight and strength of Yuy.

"Get off of me, you bastard!" James shouted, writhing underneath Yuy's hold, but Yuy was too strong.

"Heero! Stop!" Relena cried. From the corner of his eye, he could see Relena attempting to rise from the bed. She was slow, and she was in pain.

And just for a moment, Yuy relaxed his hold, and James sprang up and knocked Yuy back with his elbow and lunged for Relena.

"You slut!" he shouted at her. He caught her around the waist and swung. Relena stumbled backwards, but Quatre was quick and caught her in his arms before she fell. Her face was horrified, tears falling freely. Yuy caught hold of him again and pulled his arms behind his hand, with strength like iron keeping him from moving. "Let me go! You are fired, Yuy. Get out of my home!" James shouted.

Someone shrieked. It was Hilde, who was standing at the doorway with a tray of food. She dropped it, the silver and food clattering to the floor in a cacophony of noise. James tried to get out of Yuy's grasp, but Yuy held on tight. "I order you to let me go, Yuy. I'll have you arrested!"

Dorothy was suddenly in front of him, and she pressed a cloth to his nose. James twisted, but Dorothy was deft and followed him, and soon, the smell of chloroform filled his mind and his vision went black.

A/N: Once again, thank you so much for your continued support :-)

-Scarlet Eve


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